BV  4335  .W57  1833 
Winchester,  S.  G.  1805-1841 
A  companion  for  the  sick 


COMPANION 


FOR 


THE     SICK. 


ALTERED   FROM 

willison's  "afflicted  man's  companion.' 

WITH    ADDITIONS  :   AND  A    SELECTION  OF 

APPROPRIATE  POETRY. 


BY    REV.    S.    G.    WINCHESTER, 
Pastor  of  the  Sixth  Presbyterian  Church,  Philadelphia. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
JOSEPH  WHETHAM,  22  SOUTH  FOURTH  STREET. 

1833. 


Russell  &  Martien,  Printers. 


CONTENTS 


Page. 
Preface,  .......  5 

Introduction,      .  ......  10 


CHAPTER  I. 

Section  I.— The  first  inquiry  of  the  soul  when  the  body  is  af- 
flicted, should  be,  why  has  God  visited  me  with  this  sick- 
ness ?    .  .  .  .  .  .  •  .17 

Section  II.— Let  all  who  are  visited  with  sickness  and  dis- 
tress search  for  the  Achan  in  the  camp,  and  inquire  dili- 
gently what  is  the  ground  and  cause  of  God's  controversy 
with  them.       .......  22 

Section  III.— When  any  fit  of  sickness  attacks  you,  think  seri- 
ously upon  death,  and  make  diligent  preparation  for  it.  28 

Section  IV. — Be  not  anxious  for  i*ecovery  to  health;  but  leave 
the  issue  of  the  present  sickness  to  the  will  and  pleasure  of 
the  infinitely  wise  God.         ....  -  33 

Section  V.— Bind  yourself  with  holy  purposes  and  resolutions, 
in  Christ's  strength,  to  be  more  watchful  against  sin,  more 
diligent  in  duty,  and  to  improve  the  time  of  health  better,  if 
God  shall  be  pleased  to  restore  it  again  to  you.     .  .  35 

Section  VI, — Set  your  house  in  order,  by  making  your  latter 
will,  and  settlingyour  domestic  and  secular  affairs  while  you 
have  freedom  and  capacity  for  doing  it.      .  .  .  38 

CHAPTER  II. 

Section  I.— Justify  God  in  the  greatest  afflictions  which  befall 
you       ........  42 

Section  II.— Labour  still  to  be  sensible  of  God's  hand  under 
heavy  affliction,  and  beware  of  stupidity  and  unconcerned- 
ness  under  it.  ......  48 

Section  III.— Beware  of  misconstruing  God's  dealings  to- 
wards you,  and  of  charging  him  foolishly.  ...  51 

Section  IV.— Under  sore  trouble  and  distress,  labour  to  exer- 
cise a  strong  and  lively  faith.  ....  S3 

Section  v.— Labour  to  bear  with  patience  whatever  load  of 
trouble  the  Lord  appoints  for  you.  ....  57 

Section  VI.— Guard  against  repining  complaints  and  discon- 
tented murmurings  against  the  providence  of  God,  under 
heavy  sickness  and  affliction,         ,  ...         62 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Section  I.— Let  believers  especially  guard  against  fainting  or 
desponding  under  God's  afflicting  liand,    ...  68 

Section  II.— Believers  have  great  reason  to  praise  and  bless 
God  even  in  tlie  midst  of  their  sickness.     ...  79 

Section  III.— Let  the  children  of  God,  when  visited  with  sick- 
ness, set  about  actual  preparation  for  death  and  eternity.  81 

Section  IV.— Let  believers  in  time  cf  sickness  endeavour  all 
they  can,  to  glorify  God,  and  edify  those  that  are  about  them 
by  their  speech  and  behaviour.        •  .  .  .  Q2 

Section  V.— Let  the  children  of  God  labour  to  fortify  them- 
selves against  all  Satan's  temptations  and  assaults,  which 
they  may  expect  to  meet  with  in  time  of  sickness  and  afflic- 
tion.     ........  97 


CHAPTER  IV. 
Section  I.— -Seek  to  attain  to  a  willingness  to  die,  and  leave 
the  world  with  joy.     ......        101 

Section  II. — Endeavour  to  overcome  the  fears  of  death.      .        108 


CHAPTER  V. 
Section  I.— Stndy  to  imitate  the  ancient  worthies,  by  dying  in 
faith.     '.......        117 

Section  II. — Set  the  examples  of  other  dying  saints  before  you.  121 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Section  I. — It  is  very  proper,  both  under  sickness  and  after  it, 
to  examine  if  the  affliction  be  sanctified  to  you,  and  has  come 
from  the  love  of  God.  .  .....        171 

Section  II. — Make  conscience  of  offering  to  God  thesacrificeof 
thanksgiving,  upon  liis  recovering  you  from  sickness  or  any 
distress,  ....  ...        174 

Section  III — Inquire  after  these  fruits  of  righteousness,  which 
are  the  gelinine  effects  of  affliction  in  the  children  of  God, 
who  are  duly  exercised  thereby.      ....        179 

Section  IV. --Be  careful  to  perform  these  resolutions,  engage- 
ments or  vows,  you  have  come  under  in  the  time  of  sickness: 
and  walk  suitably  to  them.  .....        185 


PREFACE 


The  subject  of  this  book,  however  melan- 
choly it  may  appear  to  some,  yet  is  necessa- 
ry to  all ;  seeing  the  word  of  God,  and  our 
own  experience  do  assure  us,  that  ^*  man  who 
is  born  of  a  woman,  is  of  few  days,  and  full 
of  trouble  ;"  and  that  he  *<  is  born  to  trouble, 
as  the  sparks  fly  upward."  Nay,  God's 
dearest  children  are  not  exempted  from  this 
common  fate.  We  see  what  is  the  charac- 
ter that  God  gives  his  church,  Isa.  liv.  11, 
*^  0  thou  afflicted,  and  tossed  with  tempest, 
and  not  comforted !'' 

If  in  this  world,  then,  we  must  look  for 
tribulation,  it  is  highly  necessary  for  every 
man  to  seek  direction  how  to  provide  for  it, 
and  behave  under  it  so  as  he  may  glorify 
God,  edify  others,  and  attain  to  eternal  hap- 
piness at  last.  The  tribulations  we  have  to 
look  for  here  are  manifold;  but  among  those 
that  are  outward,  I  know  none  about  which 
men  ought  to  be  more  thoughtful  and  con- 
cerned, than  bodily  sickness,  that  usual 
harbinger  of  death,  and  which  ushers  the 
way  to  judgment. 


6  PREFACE. 

This  is  a  subject  not  much  handled  in 
public  sermons,  for  these  are  delivered  only 
to  them  that  are  in  health,  the  sick  being 
unable  to  attend  them.  Wherefore  it  seems 
the  more  necessary  to  handle  it  in  writing, 
so  that  the  afflicted  may  have  a  book  in 
their  houses,  and  at  their  bedsides,  as  a 
monitor  to  preach  to  them  in  private,  when 
they  are  debarred  from  hearing  sermons  in 
public. 

And  though  sometimes  sermons  may  be 
very  suitable  to  the  case  of  the  sick  and  af- 
flicted; yet,  alas!  the  most  part  are  careless 
and  forgetful  hearers  of  these  things  while 
they  are  in  health  and  prosperity,  as  reck- 
oning the  evil  day  at  some  distance  from 
them.  A  book  then,  such  as  the  following, 
being  with  them  in  time  of  sickness  and 
affliction,  may,  by  the  divine  blessing,  be 
useful  to  bring  to  their  remembrance  those 
counsels  and  admonitions  which  they  very 
much  neglected  in  the  time  of  their  health. 

Again,  ministers  of  the  Gospel  though 
ever  so  much  inclined  to  attend  the  sick, 
yet  by  reason  of  disability,  and  multiplicity 
of  other  work,  cannot  be  always  with  them 
to  direct  and  comfort  them.  But  such  a 
book  as  this  they  may  have  still  at  hand  to 
consult  with. 

And  in  regard  to  the  afflicted,  as  they  are, 


PREFACE.  7   . 

for  the  most  part,  not  in  a  situation  to  read 
for  themselves,  it  would  be  a  most  chari- 
table work  for  friends  or  neighbours  that 
attend  them,  to  lay  hold  on  proper  seasons 
for  reading  such  a  book  as  this  in  their 
hearing,  and  especially  such  chapters  or 
sections  as  they  judge  most  suitable  for 
them.  Thus  you  might  be  helped  in  some 
measure  to  exonerate  your  consciences, 
and  do  your  last  offices  of  kindness  ta  your 
sick  and  dying  friends,  when  you  can  serve 
them  no  longer  in  this  world. 

Moreover,  let  us  look  upon  all  temp^oral 
storms  and  calamities,  as  warnings  to  pre- 
pare for  a  more  awful  storm  that  we  must 
all  meet  with,  namely,  the  storm  of  death 
and  judgment;  let  us  stand  habitually  pre- 
pared for  that  storm,  and  then  other  storms 
will  not  so  much  aflfect  us.  If  it  be  asked, 
What  we  shall  do  to  be  safe  in  the  time  of" 
that  trying  storm?  the  answer  is.  Let  us 
see  that  we  be  among  the  broken  in  heart, 
or  sincere  penitents,  who  heartily  grieve 
for  all  known  sins:  that  we  be  true  be- 
lievers in  Christ,  who  trust  in  nothing  but 
his  righteousness  and  merits  for  justification 
and  salvation:  that  we  be  born  again,  and 
made  new  creatures  by  a  saving  change  . 
both  in  heart  and  life:  that  it  be  our  great 
business  to  clear  up  our  evidences  of  peace 


8  PREFACE. 

with  God  through  Christ,  and  our  title  to 
the  mansions  which  he  has  purchased  by 
his  blood.  0  that  God's  judgments,  when 
they  are  in  the  earth,  were  means  to  awaken 
us  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come,  to  Christ 
our  refuge!  When  the  floods  of  great 
waters  are  swelling  up  to  the  brim,  our 
only  safety  is  to  secure  a  hiding-place  in 
Christ's  wounds. 

Let  us  follow  the  example  of  Noah,  who, 
when  he  saw  the  flood  coming,  took  warn- 
ing, and  prepared  himself  an  ark  for  saving 
himself  and  his  household,  Heb.  xi.  7.  Let 
us  even  imitate  the  Egyptians  that  feared 
the  Lord;  they,  when  warned  of  the  dread- 
ful storm  of  hail  that  was  coming  on  the 
land,  made  their  servants  and  cattle  to  flee 
into  the  houses,  Exod,  ix.  20.  God  has  in 
mercy  provided  chambers  for  his  people  to 
hide  themselves  in  when  storms  are  coming, 
even  the  chambers  of  his  attributes  and 
promises,  and  the  chambers  of  Christ's 
wounds  and  intercession;  in  these  only  we 
can  find  safety:  let  us  then  enter  into  them 
by  faith,  when  he  invites  us,  Isa.  xxvi.  20,  21. 

Seeing,  in  these  evils  days,  we  have  so 
many  harbingers  and  forerunners  of  death 
before  our  eyes,  it  will  be  highly  our  wis- 
dom to  keep  ourselves  still  in  a  waiting 
posture,  always  ready  and  willing  to  die. 


PREFACE.  9 

What  is  there  in  this  weary  land  to  tempt 
us  to  desire  to  abide  in  it?  Is  it  not  a  land 
overwhelmed  with  sin  and  sorrow  ?  0  be- 
lievers, are  you  tost  with  tempests  here  ? 
Seek  ye  the  wings  of  a  dove,  that  you  may 
flee  away,  and  be  at  rest.  Be  habitually 
desiring  to  depart,  that  you  may  be  with 
Christ.  Surely  for  you  to  die  is  gain,  yea, 
infinite  gain!  What  are  the  imaginary 
pleasures  of  this  world  to  the  real  happiness 
of  the  next?  Though  the  struggles  of 
death  be  grievous  to  nature,  yet  the  gain  of 
dying  should  reconcile  you  to  it.  You  do 
not  hesitate  at  the  trouble  of  putting  off 
your  clothes  at  night  to  gain  a  little  rest  to 
your  bodies;  and  why  should  you  hesitate 
at  unclothing  yourselves  of  the  garment  of 
flesh  at  God's  call,  to  gain  everlasting  rest 
to  your  souls,  and  the  fruition  of  Christ's 
glorious  presence  forever  ?  Let  the  thoughts 
of  this  gain  put  you  upon  using  all  means 
to  get  your  hearts  weaned  from  the  love  of 
the  world,  and  its  comforts.  Keep  the 
mantle  of  earthly  enjoyments  hanging  loose 
about  you,  especially  in  these  calamitous 
times,  that  so  it  may  be  easily  dropped  when 
death  comes  to  carry  you  to  the  eternal 
world.  0  for  more  of  the  lively  faith  of 
that  world,  and  of  him  that  is  the  Lord  and 
purchaser  of  it! 

B  2 


INTRODUCTION. 


Man,  when  he  first  came  from  his  Ma- 
ker's hands,  was  a  holy  and  innocent  crea- 
ture, pirre  from  sin,  and  consequently  free 
from  sickness  and  trouble,  and  enjoying  un- 
interrupted health  and  prosperity  both  in 
body  and  soul.  But  no  sooner  was  he  tainted 
with  sin,  than  he  became  liable  to  all  sorts  of 
miseries,  temporal,  spiritual,  and  eternal :  his 
soul  being  the  residence  of  sins  and  lusts,  his 
body  became  the  receptacle  of  sickness  and 
diseases.  And  seeing  God's  own  children 
have  the  relics  of  sin  and  corruption  in 
them,  while  in  this  world,  they  are  not  to 
expect  exemption  from  such  afflictions;  and 
the  infinitely  wise  God  sees  meet  to  make 
use  of  bodily  distempers  to  correct  the  cor- 
ruptions, and  try  the  graces  of  his  people, 
and  to  promote  both  their  spiritual  and  eter- 
nal advantage.  Hence  it  is  said  of  Laza- 
rus, John  xi.  3,  "Behold,  he  whom  thou 
lovest  is  sick."  He  was  beloved,  and 
yet  sick.  Sanctified  and  healthy  souls 
may  have  weak  and  sickly  bodies,  as  had 
Gains,   3   John   2.     Notwithstanding,    the 


INTRODUCTION.  11 

ease  is  sometimes  most  trying  and  exercis- 
ing to  the  best  of  God's  people :  and  they 
are  never  more  ready  to  question  God's 
love,  or  quarrel  with  his  providence,  than 
under  heavy  sickness  and  bodily  distress.  It 
is  therefore  highly  important  whether  fami- 
lies or  private  persons,  to  inquire  how  they 
ought  to  behave  under  or  after  afflieting  sick- 
ness; and  how  they  shall  provide  for  such 
an  evil  time  before  it  comes. 

As  God  is  wont  to  lighten  our  darkness, 
says  Drelincourt,  so  he  makes  use  of  death 
to  cause  his  infinite  wisdom  to  shine  and  ap- 
pear in  all  his  creatures.  Sin  has  brought 
forth  death,  and  death,  on  the  contrary,  as  a 
most  fortunate  parricide,  kills  and  destroys 
its  parent,  sin :  for  it  is  death  that  totally 
roots  out  of  our  souls  all  corrupt  afiections. 

Moreover,  God,  who  is  the  same  yes- 
terday, to-day,  and  for  ever,  Heb.  xiii. 
will  have  all  his  children  pass  through  the 
same  path,  to  take  possession  of  his  eternal 
inheritance,  and  enter  by  the  same  gate 
into  his  royal  palace.  All  the  faithful  in 
the  Old  Testament  are  gone  already  this 
way,  through  many  tribulations.  Acts  xxiv. 
They  have  arrived  at  the  kingdom  of  God, 
and  through  death,  they  are  come  to  the 
abode  of  life  and  immortality. 

An  important  reason  of  this  our  destiny, 


12  INTRODUCTION. 

is,  that  God  has  predestinated  us  to  be  con- 
formed to  the  image  of  his  Son,  that  he 
might  be  the  first-born  among  many  breth- 
ren; he  will  have  us  to  be  baptized  with  his 
baptism,  and  drink  in  his  cup,  and  enter  into 
bliss  by  the  same  gate,  through  which  he  has 
already  passed.  Through  shame  and  dis- 
grace he  has  arrived  to  glory;  and  through 
death  he  has  entered  into  life.  He  has  drunk 
of  the  bitter  waters,  before  he  tasted  of  the 
river  of  celestial  joys;  and  he  went  down 
into  the  grave,  before  he  would  ascend  to 
the  right  hand  of  God. 

Although  it  is  appointed  unto  all  men 
once  to  die,  Heb.  ix.  yet  death  has  no  cause 
to  triumph,  because  the  chief  advantage  is 
not  on  that  side. 

In  the  first  place,  Jesus  Christ,  our  head, 
has  encountered  death,  and  overcome  it;  he 
has  pursued  it  into  its  trenches,  and  baffled 
it  in  its  own  fortification  :  death  thought  to 
have  devoured  him,  but  it  has  been  devour- 
ed itself.  As  fish  are  taken  by  the  hook  that 
they  think  to  swallow;  and  as  the  bees  hurt 
those  whom  they  sting,  but  do  greater  harm 
to  themselves;  for  they  break  their  stings 
and  lose  thereby  their  lives:  thus  death,  by 
fixing  its  sting  in  the  humanity  of  Jesus 
Christ,  has  put  him  to  a  great  deal  of  pain 


INTRODUCTION.  13 

for  a  time,  but  it  has  thereby  lost  all  strength 
and  vigor  for  ever. 

The  miserable  Jews,  for  fear  of  the  Ro- 
mans, delivered  'to  them  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  their  brother  according  to  the  flesh, 
bound  like  a  malefactor.  When  hell  saw 
him  nailed  to  the  cross,  and  afterwards  laid 
in  a  grave,  it  greatly  rejoiced  the  devil, 
and  his  angels  began  to  sing  songs  -of  tri- 
umph. But  it  was  altogether  impossible 
that  the  prince  of  life  should  be  detained  in 
the  prison  of  death.  He  has  not  only 
broken  out  of  the  grave  by  his  infinite  pow- 
er, but  has  also  trampled  under  feet  all 
his  most  furious  enemies,  and  overcome 
millions  of  infernal  fiends.  And  to  declare 
how  life  and  death  were  in  his  power,  he 
baffled  death,  when  he  was,  as  it  were,  a 
prisoner,  shut  up  in  his  dungeon.  He  has 
broken  open  the  gates  of  this  black  prison, 
and  torn  in  pieces  all  his  fetters:  for  when 
he  was  yet  in  the  grave,  he  raised  to  life 
many  that  were  dead,  who  were  seen  in  the 
holy  city;  and  yet  at  present  he  holds  in  his 
hand  the  keys  of  death  and  of  hell.  There- 
fore, as  children  rejoice  at  their  father's 
victory,  and  as  the  subjects  are  concerned 
in  the  prosperous  proceedings  of  their  king, 
and  as  the  members  are  the  better  for  the 
glory  and  honour  of  their  head ;  thus  may 


14  INTRODUCTION. 

we  glory  in  the  most  notable  victories  and 
famous  triumphs  of  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  our 
father,  king,  and  head  Wemay  also  justly 
glory,  that  we  are  lords  of  death,  and  that 
we  have  overcome  it  in  the  person  of  our 
great  God  and  Saviour.  I  say  this  after  the 
apostle  Paul,  That  God  hath  quickened 
us  together,  and  raised  us  together,  and 
made  us  sit  together  in  heavenly  places  with 
Jesus  Christ,  Eph.  ii.  5.  6. 

Therefore,  being  befriended  with  the 
grace  of  God,  and  armed  with  the  virtue  of 
his  Holy  Spirit,  let  us  show  our  courage  and 
defy  death;  let  us  look  it  in  the  face  without 
fear,  laugh  at  all  its  threats,  and  encounter 
it  without  dread:  for  it  is  now  like  an  inso- 
lent soldier  without  weapons;  it  is  like  a  bee 
without  its  sting;  it  is  like  an  old  lion  that 
roars,  but  has  lost  all  its  claws;  it  is  like  a 
snake  that  would  convey  its  poison,  but  has 
no  venomous  teeth  left,  having  been  pulled 
out  by  him  who  has  bruised  the  serpent's 
head. 

If  you  consider  nothing  but  death's  exte- 
rior, its  face  and  fearful  appearance,  its  frigid 
eyes,  its  meagre  body,  its  ironed  hands;  you 
cannot  perceive  any  difference  between  the 
death  of  God's  children,  and  that  of  the 
most  wicked.  But  if  you  lift  up  the  mask, 
and  examine  the  death  of  the  one,  and  of  the 


INTRODUCTION.  15 

other  more  exactly,  you  will  meet  with  as 
great  difference  as  between  Heaven  and 
Earth,  the  paradise  of  God  and  hell :  for  as 
Moses'  brazen  serpent,  which  he  lifted  up 
in  the  desert,  had  the  form  and  appearance 
of  a  burning  serpent,  but  nothing  of  the  poi- 
son and  fire;  so  the  death  of  the  faithful 
appears  as  the  death  of  other  men,  but  has 
not  the  deadly  and  pernicious  consequences; 
for  it  is  not  only  a.  sign  and  testimony  of 
God's  grace  and  favour,  but  the  beginning 
of  our  deliverance,  and  the  cure  of  all  dis- 
eases. As  Moses,  when  he  had  cast  wood 
into  the  waters  of  Marah,  they  had  the  same 
colour,  but  not  the  same  bitterness  and  un- 
pleasant taste :  so  the  death  of  God's  dear- 
est children  has  the  same  tincture  and  ap- 
pearance as  before,  but  Christ's  cross  has 
taken  away  the  danger,  the  trouble,  and  ex- 
tracted its  distasteful  bitterness,  and  chang- 
ed it  into  unspeakable  sweetness.  As  Pha- 
raoh was  drowned  with  all  his  army  in  the 
waters  of  the  Red  sea,  but  the  children  of  Is- 
rael found  a  secure  and  pleasant  passage  into 
the  promised  land;  for  when  they  arrived 
upon  the  other  shore  of  that  dreadful  sea, 
they  Sling  unto  God  songs  of  triumph  and 
thanksgiving:  so  death  opens  its  jaws  to 
devour  the  reprobates,  it  is  an  abyss  where 
they  can  find  no  bottom;  but  to  the  children 


16  INTRODUCTION. 

of  God  it  is  a  favourable  passage  into  an 
eternal  bliss;  as  soon  as  they  are  gone 
through,  they  arrive  at  the  place  of  assur- 
ance, joy,  and  rest,  where  God  furnishes 
them  with  songs  of  triumph  and  thanks- 
giving to  the  Lamb.    Rev.  i.  15. 

Balaam  the  prophet  was  called  to  curse 
the  people  of  God  but  he  blessed  them, 
contrary  to  the  vain  expectation  of  Balak 
king  of  Moab.  Thus  death  has  been  brought** 
into  the  world  by  the  devil,  to  destroy  and 
utterly  abolish  the  holy  seed;  but  God,  by 
his  infinite  goodness  and  wisdom,  has  chang- 
ed it  into  salvation  and  blessing.  Let  us 
therefore  not  be  any  longer  puzzled  to  find 
out  the  meaning  of  Samson's  riddle;  ^'  Out 
of  the  eater  came  forth  meat,  and  out  of  the 
strong  came  forth  sweetness,"  Judg.  xiv. 
For  the  Church  of  God,  to  whom  Christ 
has  discovered  the  most  excellent  secrets 
of  his  kingdom,  teaches  us  to  seek  the  sweet- 
est comforts  out  of  this  old  Lion.  As  Sam- 
son pulled  down  the  temple  upon  himself 
to  his  own  destruction,  so  sin  brings  on 
death  which  destroys  sin  itself. 


COMPANION 


FOR 


THE    SICK 


CHAPTER   I. 

SECTION  I. 

The  first  inquiry  of  the  soul  when  the  body  is  afflicted, 
should  he^-why  has  God  visited  me  with  this  sickness  7 

An  infinitely  holy  and  gracious  God  has 
various  and  wise  ends  in  afflicting  the  child- 
ren of  men,  whether  they  be  converted  or 
unconverted;  which  ought  to  be  duly  consid- 
ered by  all,  and  especially  by  those  who  are 
visited  with  sickness. 

1.  God  sends  sickness,  to  awaken  in  us 
th'^.  spirit  of  prayer  and  supplication,  and 
make  us  more  earnest  and  importunate  in 
our  addresses  to  the  throne  of  Grace. 
There  is  a  great  difference  between  our 
prayers  in  health  and  in  sickness ;  between 
c 


18  COMPANION  FOR 

our  humiliations  in  prosperity,  and  in  ad- 
versity. In  prosperity,  we  pray  heavily 
and  drowsily,  but  adversity  adds  wings  to 
our  desires,  Isa.  xxvi.  16.  "  Lord  in  trouble 
have  they  visited  thee,  they  poured  out 
a  prayer  when  thy  chastening  was  upon 
them.'^  Though  they  were  backward 
enough  to  prayer  before,  yet  they  pour  it 
out  most  freely  now.  The  very  heathen 
mariners  cried  aloud  to  God  in  a  storm. 
What  a  famous  prayer  did  Manasseh  make 
when  he  was  under  his  iron  fetters !  We 
find  it  thrice  mentioned,  2  Chron.  xxxiii. 
13.  18,  19.  And  the  voice  of  fervent 
prayer,  is  what  the  Lord  desires  to  hear. 

2.  Another  end  is,  to  loose  our  h^earts 
from  the  things  of  this  w^orld,  and  cause  us 
to  look  and  long  for  heaven.  When  we  en- 
joy health  and  ease  in  this  world,  we  are 
apt  to  say  with  Peter  on  the  mount,  "  it  is 
good  for  us  to  be  here;"  but  when  distress 
Cometh,  God's  people  will  say  with"  the 
Palsmist,  Psal.  Ixxiii.  27,  "It  is  good  for 
me  to  draw  nigh  to  God."  When  things 
here  go  well  with  us,  we  are  apt  to  think 
ourselves  at  home;  but  when  trouble  arises, 
we  begin  to  say,  "  arise,  let  us  depart,  this  is 
not  our  rest."  Though  heaven  was  much 
out  of  sight  and  out  of  mind  before,  yet, 
when  afflicting  sickness  comes,  the  poor  be- 


THE  SICK.  19 

liever  will  sigh,  and  say  with  David,  Psal. 
Iv.  6,  ^'  0  that  I  had  wings  like  a  dove!  for 
then  would  I  fly  away,  and  be  at  rest.  I 
would  hasten  my  escape  from  the  windy 
storm  and  tempest." 

3.  God  designs  to  make  the  world  bitter, 
and  Christ  sweet  to  us.  By  such  afflictions, 
he  lets  men  see,  that  the  world  is  nothing 
but  vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit;  that  riches 
avail  not  in  the  day  of  wrath:  then  it  is, 
that  they  may  see  the  insufficiency  of  the 
world  to  relieve  them:  that,  as  one  says, 
"A  velvet  slipper  cannot  cure  the  gout:  a 
golden  cap  cannot  drive  away  the  head-ach; 
nor  a  bed  of  down  give  ease  in  a  fever." 
And  as  the  world  turns  bitter,  so  Christ 
grows  sweet  to  the  believer.  In  time  of 
ease  and  health,  Christ  is  often  very  much 
neglected  and  forgotten.  As  the  disciples, 
while  the  sea  was  calm,  suffered  Christ  to 
sleep  with  them  in  the  ship,  thinking  they 
might  make  their  voyage  well  enough  with- 
out his  help;  but  when  they  were  ready  to 
be  drowned,  then  they  see  their  need  of 
Christ,  they  awake  him,  crying,  "  Mas- 
ter, save  us,  or  else  we  perish."  So  the 
best  of  saints,  when  all  is  easy  about  them, 
are  prone  to  suffer  Christ  to  sleep  within 
them,  and  so  to  neglect  the  lively  actings  of 
faith  on  Christ;  but  when  the  storm  ofafflic- 


20  COMPANION  FOR 

tion  begins  to  arise,  and  they  are  ready  to 
be  overwhelmed  with  distress,  then  they 
cry,  "  None  but  Christ,  none  but  Christ.'^ 

4.  God  visits  with  sickness  and  distress, 
in  order  both  to  prove  and  improve  his  peo- 
ple's grace.  Deut.  viii.  6.  Rev.  ii.  10. 
Grace  is  hereby  both  tried  and  strengthened. 

1st.  Such  afflictions  prove  both  the  truth 
and  strength  of  our  graces,  as  they  serve  to 
try  if  we  love  God  for  himself;  and  if  we 
can  endure  and  hold  out  in  serving  him, 
waiting  and  depending  upon  him,  notwith- 
standing discouragements.  That  faith  which 
will  not  suffice  for  a  little  affliction,  will  not 
suffice  for  a  great  one.  Peter  had  faith 
enough  to  come  upon  the  sea  at  Christ's  call; 
but  as  soon  as  the  waves  began  to  swell,  his 
faith  began  to  fail,  and  his  feet  to  sink,  till 
Christ  mercifully  caught  hold  of  him,  say- 
ing, "  0  thou  of  little  faith,  wherefore  didst 
thou  doubt?"  Matth.  xiv.  31.  Little  did 
he  think  his  faith  was  so  weak  till  now. 

2dly.  They  tend  to  improve  our  graces 
also,  by  strengthening  them.  They  serve  as 
a  whetstone  to  sharpen  faith,  so  that  the  soul 
is  made  to  renounce  earthly  shelters,  and  to 
embrace  God  in  Christ,  as  its  only  refuge 
and  portion.  They  excite  to  repentance  and 
serious  mourning  for  sin;  for,  like  the  win- 
ter frost  and  snows,  they  make  the  fallow 


THE  SICK.  21 

ground  of  our  heart  more  tender.  They 
prompt  us  to  heavenly  mindedness,  self-de- 
nial, and  patient  waiting  on  God.  Yea,  the 
experience  of  God's  people  can  attest  it,  that 
grace  is  never  more  lively  than  when  under 
affliction.  David  never  found  himself  bet- 
ter, as  to  his  spiritual-state,  than  when  he  was 
persecuted  and  hunted  as  a  partridge  on  the 
mountains;  and  hence  says,  Psal.  cxix.  71, 
"Ii  *s  good  for  me  that  I  have  been  afflic- 
ted.'^ 

5.  God's  aim  is,  to  awaken  us  to  redeem 
time,  to  prepare  for  removing  doubts,  and 
to  clear  up  our  evidences  for  heaven.  In  the 
time  of  health  we  are  apt  to  trifle  away 
time,  to  loiter  in  our  journey,  and  forget 
that  we  are  pilgrims  on  the  earth;  where- 
fore God  sends  sickness  as  his  messenger,  to 
remind  us  of  our  duty. 

Now  it  highly  concerns  us,  when  sick- 
ness attacks  us,  to  consider  and  meditate 
upon  these  ends  for  which  God  brings  on 
distress;  and  pray  earnestly  that  they  may 
be  accomplished  in  us;  that  so  our  sickness 
shall  not  be  unto  death  (spiritual  or  eternal,) 
but  to  the  glory  of  God,  and  good  of  our 
souls. 


c  2 


22  COMPANION  FOR 

SECTION  II. 

Let  all  who  are  visited  with  sickness  and  distress  search 
for  the  Achan  in  the  camp,  and  inquire  diligently 
what  is  the  ground  and  cause  of  God's  controversy  with 
them. 

It  has  been  the  practice  of  God's  people 
in  Scripture  times,  to  inquire  into  the  cause 
and  meanings  of  God's  rods  which  have  been 
laid  upon  them.  So  David,  2  Sam.  xxi. 
when  the  land  of  Israel  was  three  years  un- 
der the  stroke  of  famine,  he  inquired  into 
the  meaning  of  it.  So  Job  is  exceedingly 
desirous  to  know  why  God  set  him  up  as  a 
mark  for  his  arrows.  Job  vii.  20.  and  hence 
it  is  that  he  makes  that  petition.  Job  x.  2. 
which  is  most  suitable  for  every  man  in  dis- 
tress, ^^show  me  wherefore  thou  contendest 
with  me." 

I  grant,  indeed,  that  God  sometimes 
visits  his  people  with  affliction,  for  the  trial 
and  exercise  of  their  grace,  and  for  their 
spiritual  instruction,  more  than  for  the  cor- 
rection of  their  sin.  But  sin  being  the  origi- 
nal and  foundation  of  all  affliction,  it  is  safest 
when  it  is  our  own  case,  and  most  accep- 
table to  God,  to  look  on  sin  as  the  procuring 
cause.  Or  if  our  sins  have  not  immediate- 
ly procured  the  present  affliction,  yet  the 
best  of  God's  children  must  own  that  they 


THE  SICK.  23 

have  at  least  deserved  it.     We  see  the  sin 

of  the  Corinthians  is  mentioned  as  the  cause 
of  their  sickness,  1  Cor.  xi.  30,  "  For  this 
cause  many  are  weak  and  sickly  among  you." 
The  Psalmist  concludes  the  very  same  thing, 
Psal.  cvii.  17,  IS,  "  Fools,  because  of  their 
transgressions  and  their  iniquities,  are  af- 
flicted ;  their  soul  abhorreth  all  manner  of 
meat:  and  they  draw  nigh  unto  the  gates  of 
death.''  But  ordinarily,  by  sickness,  the 
Lord  points  at  some  one  sin  in  us,  more  than 
another;  some  Jonah  in  the  ship,  that  has 
raised  the  storm,  which  the  Lord  would 
have  us  to  search  out  and  throw  over  board 
without  delay. 

But  how  shall  we  discover  and  find  out 
the  particular  sin  for  which  God  afflicts  us 
with  sickness  and  distress  ? 

1.  Study  the  Lord's  word  and  the  chas- 
tisements there  recorded,  which  he  has  in- 
flicted upon  people  for  their  sins;  and  in- 
quire if  you  be  guilty  of  the  like.  Observe 
what  has  been  God's  mind  to  his  people, 
and  what  sin  he  has  pointed  to  them  when 
they  have  been  brought  under  such  a  rod: 
and  so  you  may  learn  his  mind  to  you,  Rom. 
XV.  4  ,"  For  whatsoever  things  were  written 
aforetime,  were  written  for  our  learning." 

2.  Consider  what  is  the  sin  which  con- 
science most  accuses  you  of,  in  your  most 


24  COMPANION  FOR 

serious  and  solitary  hours.  Conscience  is 
God's  deputy,  and  your  bosom-monitor, 
whose  voice,  perhaps,  you  have  little  re- 
garded in  the  day  of  health;  wherefore 
God  has  sent  a  sharper  messenger,  to  second 
the  voice  of  conscience.  Hear  now  the 
voice  of  the  rod,  for  it  is  the  same  with  the 
voice  of  conscience.  In  the  day  of  pros- 
perity, carnal  profits  and  pleasures  made 
such  a  noise,  that  the  voice  of  conscience 
could  not  be  heard:  wherefore  God  has 
brought  on  the  silent  night  of  adversity,  that 
his  deputy  may  obtain  audience.  Well  then, 
give  ear;  what  saith  conscience  now?  May 
you  not  hear  it  saying,  as  Reuben  to  his 
brethren  in  distress,  "Spake  I  not  to  you 
in  the  day  of  health,  do  not  commit  such 
a  sin,  and  do  not  delay  repenting  for  such  a 
sin;  but  you  would  not  hear?"  0  man, 
let  conscience  get  a  hearing  at  last  as  it  got 
with  the  patriarchs,  when  they  were  brought 
to  distress  in  Egypt,  and  made  them  con- 
fess their  sin  in  selling  Joseph,  Gen.  xlii. 
21,  "We  are  verily  guilty  concerning  our 
brother,  in  that  we  saw  the  anguish  of  his 
soul,  when  he  besought  us,  and  we  would 
not  hear:  therefore  is  this  distress  come 
upon  us." 

3.  Consider   what  are   those   evils,  that 
•  others  have  observed  in  you,  whether  they 


THE  SICK.  25 

be  friends  or  foes.  Hearken  to  what  a 
Christian  friend  notices  in  you,  either  when 
speaking  to  you,  or  to  others  about  you. 
"Let  the  righteous  smite  me,  (saith  David,) 
and  it  shall  be  a  kindness."  Yea,  do  not 
disregard  what  evil  enemies  say  of  you:  as 
David  obtained  good  by  the  malicious  re- 
proaches of  Shemei,  in  the  day  of  his  afflic- 
tion, so  may  you  in  the  time  of  distress; 
for  sometimes  malice  itself  will  speak  truth. 
Enemies  are  sharp-sighted  to  spy  out  our 
faults,  and  so  may,  through  the  divine  bless- 
ing, prove  monitors  to  us,  both  with  respect 
to  sin  and  duty. 

4.  Consider  the  nature  and  circumstances 
of  your  distress.  Oftimes  the  affliction  is 
so  suitable  to  the  transgression,  that  we  may 
clearly  read  our  sin  written  on  the  forehead 
of  our  punishment,  as  in  the  case  of  Adoni- 
bezek,  and  many  others.  And  also  you 
may  be  helped  to  find  it  out  by  the  Lord's 
timing  of  the  rod  to  you.  Was  it  sent 
when  you  were  under  much  formality  in 
duty  ?  or  when  you  were  eagerly  pursuing 
the  things  of  the  world  ?  or  when  you  were 
under  the  power  of  some  prevailing  lust  or 
other?  Then  the  rod  comes  to  reprove 
you,  and  to  wake  you  to  the  evil  thereof. 

5.  Consider  what  is  the  sin  that  has  been 
formerly    the    most    affrighting    to    your 


26  COMPANION  FOR 

thoughts,  and  perplexing  to  your  con- 
science, when  you  have  been  in  the  imme- 
diate view  of  death  and  a  tribunal.  It  is 
very  likely,  (if  you  have  not  truly  repented 
of  it,)  that  is  the  sin  which  God  now  in- 
tends to  awake  you  to  see  the  evil  of,  that 
you  may  sincerely  mourn  for,  and  turn 
from  it,  looking  to  God  in  Christ  for  par- 
don and  mercy. 

Ah!  (saith  one,)  it  is  my  lot  to  die  under 
a  dumb  and  silent  rod:  I  do  not  understand 
its  language,  I  cannot  hear  its  voice,  I  can- 
not find  out  the  sin  that  is  pointed  at  by  it; 
what  course  shall  I  take  ? 

1.  Be  deeply  humbled  under  this  trial, 
and  bewail  your  case  before  the  Lord;  for 
it  very  much  aggravates  the  affliction  to 
God's  people,. when  they  know  not  the  lan- 
guage of  it.  Hence  was  it  that  Job  lamented 
so  heavily,  that  his  way  was  hid,  and  he 
knew  not  the  reason  of  God's  contending 
with  him.  Job  iii.  23. 

2.  A  believer's  case  may  be  sometimes 
so  dark,  that  it  requires  a  great  deal  of  spi- 
ritual art  and  wisdom  to  enable  him  to  hear 
the  voice  of  the  rod,  and  understand  its 
language.  Hence  it  is  said,  "He  is  a  man 
of  wisdom  that  seeth  God's  name  upon  it,'* 
Micah  vi.  9.  Now,  this  wisdom  must  only 
come  from  above;  therefore, 


THE  SICK.  27 

3.  Go  to  God,  and  earnestly  beg  for  this 
wisdom,  that  you  may  know  his  mind,  and 
the  meaning  of  the  rod.  Do  as  Rebekah, 
when  the  children  struggled  in  her  womb, 
she  went  to  inquire  of  the  Lord,  saying, 
"Why  am  I  thus?"  Gen.  xxv.  22.  Cry  to 
God  to  give  you  his  Spirit,  to  teach  and 
enlighten  you  to  see  sin  in  this  evil,  and 
the  particular  evils  you  are  guilty  of.  This 
was  Job's  course  in  his  affliction?  "Show 
me,  (says  he,)  wherefore  thou  contendest 
with  me.  That  which  I  see  not,  teach  thou 
me.  Make  me  to  know  my  transgression 
and  my  sin.''  There  is  no  better  way  for 
a  prisoner  to  know  the  reason  of  his  con- 
finement, than  to  ask  the  magistrate  who 
committed  him.  God  is  a  wise  agent,  and 
can  give  the  best  account  of  his  own  actions. 

4.  If  you  cannot  find  out  the  particular 
sin  for  which  God  afflicts  you,  then  labour 
to  repent  of  every  known  sin,  and  cry  for 
pardon,  of  every  unknown  and  forgotten 
sin  also.  Do  that  out  of  wisdom,  which 
Herod  did  out  of  malice,  who,  because  he 
could  not  find  out  the  babe  Jesus,  killed  all 
the  children  of  Bethlehem,  that  he  might 
be  sure  to  kill  Jesus  among  them.  Let  us 
seek  the  utter  ruin  and  death  of  all  our  sins, 
tliat  we  may  be  sure  to  destroy  that  sin  for 
which  God  afflicts  us. 


28  COMPANION  FOR 

5.  Study  to  exercise  a  strong  faith,  and  a 
humble  submission,  while  God  keeps  you 
under  the  silent  rod.  Believe  firmly,  that 
God  is  just,  though  you  know  not  for  what 
he  contends.  And  however  long  he  thinks 
fit  to  make  you  walk  in  the  dark,  resolve 
humbly  to  wait  on  him,  and  commit  your- 
self to  him,  who  has  many  times  guided  the 
blind  in  the  way  they  knew  not. 


SECTION  III. 

When  any  fit  of  sickness  attacks  you,  think  seriouslj 
upon  death,  and  make  diligent  preparation  for  it. 

1.  Set  about  self-examination  work.  In- 
quire if  you  be  in  Christ  or  not;  if  you  be 
yet  far  off  from  God,  or  if  you  be  brought 
near  by  the  blood  of  Jesus.  And  see  that 
you  be  impartial  in  this  search,  and  willing 
to  find  out  the  truth  of  this  important  ques- 
tion. Be  not  foolishly  tender  of  yourself, 
and  apt  to  believe  that  you  are  safe,  when 
it  is  not  so;  for  in  this  way  thousands  ruin 
themselves  forever.  But  be  willing  to  know 
the  worst  of  your  case,  and  thoroughly  to 
understand  your  soul's  danger,  then  you 
may  be  moved  to  take  the  right  way  to  es- 
cape it.  Wherefore  take  a  view  of  the 
marks  of  Christless  and  unconverted  per- 


THE  SICK.  29 

sons  set  down  in  God's  word,  and  judge 
yourself  by  them:  And  consider  also  the 
signs  of  true  grace  there  recorded,  and  see 
if  they  be  applicable  to  you  or  not. 

2.  If  after  inquiry  you  find  your  state  is 
bad;  that  you  have  been  a  lover  of  the 
world,  more  than  of  God;  you  have  minded 
your  body  more  than  your  soul;  you  have 
lived  in  the  neglect  of  Christ;  allowed 
yourself  in  known  sin:  0  then  be  convin- 
ced of  your  inability  to  help  yourself,  and 
your  need  of  Christ  to  help  you.  And  la- 
bour to  be  deeply  humbled  before  God,  un- 
der a  sense  of  your  sin  and  folly.  "Ah, 
how  foolishly,  how  rebelliously,  how  un- 
thankfully  have  I  acted?  I  have  abused 
God's  mercies,  and  left  undone  the  work 
for  which  I  was  made,  and  preserved,  and 
enjoyed  the  Gospel.  Oh!  I  had  all  my 
time  given  me,  to  make  preparation  for 
endless  eternity,  and  I  have  never  minded 
it,  till  now  that  sickness,  the  harbinger  of 
death,  is  come  upon  me:  and  now,  what 
shall  I  do  to  be  saved  ?''  Well,  then,  in 
order  to  convince  and  humble  you  the 
more,  cast  back  your  eyes  upon  the  sins  of 
your  nature,  and  of  your  past  life;  view 
them  in  their  nature,  number,  aggravations, 
and  deservings.  0  do  not  so  many  years  of 
sin  need  a  very  deep  humiliation  ?     0  do 

D 


30  COMPANION  FOR 

you  not  stand  greatly  in  need  of  such  a  per- 
son as  Christ,  to  be  your  Saviour  and  Ran- 
somer  from  such  a  vast  number  of  sins  ?  0 
their  weight  will  press  you  eternally  down 
to  the  lowest  hell,  if  left  to  yourself,  and 
laid  upon  your  back. 

3.  0  sinner,  are  you  deeply  humbled, 
and  desirous  of  mercy  upon  any  terms? 
Believe  then,  that  your  case  is  not  remedi- 
less, but  that  there  is  a  sacrifice  provided 
for  your  sins,  and  an  able  and  all  sufficient 
Saviour  in  your  offer.  Believe  that  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God,  and 
became  flesh  to  be  a  surety  for  you;  that 
he  is  both  able  and  willing  to  save  to 
the  uttermost  all  that  come  unto  God  by 
him.  Though  your  sins,  your  dangers,  and 
your  fears,  be  ever  so  great,  yet  he  is  able 
and  willing  to  save.  0  flee  at  once  to  this 
refuge  city,  whose  gates  are  open  to  receive 
you.  Trust  your  soul  upon  Christ's  sacri- 
fice and  meritorious  blood,  for  mercy  and 
salvation.  Apply  humbly  to  him,  that  he 
may  teach  you  the  will  of  God,  reconcile 
you  to  his  Father,  pardon  your  sins,  renew 
you  by  his  Spirit,  and  save  you  from  eter- 
nal wrath. 

4.  Give  up  yourself  to  God  in  Christ,  by 
way  of  covenant  and  solemn  resignation. 
Every  man  does  this  sacramentally  in  bap- 


THE  SICK.  31 

tism;  but  you  must  also  renew  it  personally 
and  explicitly,  and  thereby  give  a  cordial  and 
voluntary  consent  to  the  covenant  of  grace. 
Acquiesce  cheerfully  in  the  Gospel  v^ay  of 
salvation  through  Christ  and  his  righteous- 
ness; and  accept  of  God  in  Christ,  as  your 
portion.  Make  choice  of  God  your  Father, 
as  your  reconciled  Father  in  Christ;  and 
God  the  Son,  as  your  Redeemer  and  Sa- 
viour; and  God  the  Holy  Ghost,  for  your 
Sanctifier,  Guide,  and  Comforter.  And 
likewise  give  up  yourself,  soul  and  body, 
and  all  you  have,  to  be  the  Lord's;  en- 
gaging, in  Christ's  strength,  to  live  for  God, 
and  walk  with  him  in  newness  of  life.  And 
study  to  do  all  this  deliberately,  unfeignedly 
and  cheerfully.  Though,  perhaps,  you 
have  done  this  hypocritically  at  former 
times,  you  have  profaned  God's  covenant, 
and  behaved  unsteadfastly  and  perfidiously 
therein;  yet  now  endeavour  to  be  sincere 
with  God  for  once. 

5.  Be  living  daily  in  the  exercise  of 
faith  and  repentance  :  renew  the  acts  there- 
of frequently,  in  proportion  to  your  renew- 
ed sins  and  guiltiness.  Cleave  close  to 
Christ,  your  High  Priest  and  Surety,  and  be 
ever  washing  in  his  blood.  Come  death 
when  it  will,  let  it  find  you  at  the  fountain, 
always  looking  to,  and  making  use  of  Jesus 


32  COMPANION  FOR 

Christ.  You  have  great  need  of  Christ 
every  day  of  your  life,  more  especially  in 
sickness;  but  most  of  all  at  a  dying  hour. 
0  what  need  will  you  have  of  Christ,  then, 
as  an  Advocate  with  God,  when  the  ques- 
tion is  to  be  determined.  Where  your  man- 
sion is  to  be  assigned,  through  all  eternity, 
whether  in  heaven  or  hell?  0  then,  be 
looking  always  to  Christ,  with,  the  eye  of 
faith.  Live  in  the  constant  thoughts  of  this 
blessed  Mediator.  Let  him  be  first  in  your 
thoughts  in  the  morning,  and  last  in  your 
thoughts  at  night. 

6.  Be  striving  to  mortify  every  sin  and  lust, 
both  outward  and  inward.  Be  dying  to  sin 
daily,  that  so  you  may  not  die  for  sin  eternal- 
ly. 0  that  sin  may  be  daily  losing  its  strength, 
and  dying  in  you!  so  that  it  may  be  cer- 
tainly dead  before  you.  Pray  earnestly, 
that  your  sins  may  die,  before  you  die:  for, 
if  they  die  not  before  you,  but  out-live  the 
dying  body,  they  will  live  eternally  to  sting 
and  torment  the  never-dying  soul. 


THE  SICK.  33 


SECTION  IV. 


Be  not  anxious  for  recovery  to  health ;  but  leave  the  is- 
sue  of  the  present  sickness  to  the  will  and  pleasure 
of  the  infinitely  wise  God. 

Remember,  0  man,  thou  art  the  clay, 
and  God  is  the  potter;  he  is  the  absolute 
Lord  of  thy  life  and  times,  therefore  learn 
to  adore  his  sovereignty  over  thee,  and  all 
thy  enjoyments.  David  did  so,  when  he 
said,  "Lord,  my  times  are  in  thy  hand," 
Psal.  xxxi.  15.  And  indeed  they  are  only 
best  in  his  hand,  for  he  best  knows  how  to 
dispose  of  them.  The  prophet  saith,  Isa. 
XXX.  18,  "The  Lord  is  a  God  of  judg 
ment,  blessed  are  they  that  wait  for  him." 
Judgment  there  signifies  wisdom:  The 
Lord  is  a  God  of  wisdom,  and  will  order 
and  time  all  things  well ;  and  therefore  it 
becomes  us  quietly  to  wait  for  his  pleasure, 
saying,  ^^The  will  of  the  Lord  be  done." 
It  is  taken  notice  of,  as  a  great  sin  in  the 
Israelites,  that  they  waited  not  for  his  coun- 
sel, but  limited  the  Holy  One  of  Israel. 
Psal.  Ixxviii.  41.  What  an  unaccountable 
folly  and  presumption  is  it,  for  the  worms 
of  the  earth,  to  seek  to  limit  the  Sovereign 
of  heaven  to  their  measure!  It  becomes 
us  at  all  times,  and  especially  in  sickness 
and  affliction,  to  have  low,  submissive 
D  2 


34  COMPANION  FOR 

thoughts  of  ourselves,  and  highly  exalted 
thoughts  of  God's  sovereignty,  such  as 
Nebuchadnezzar  had,  Dan.  iv.  35,  "And 
all  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  are  reputed 
as  nothing:  and  he  doth  according  to  his 
will  in  the  army  of  heaven,  among  the  in- 
habitants of  the  earth:  and  none  can  stay 
his  hand,  or  say  unto  him.  What  doest 
thou?"  We  should  therefore  refer  all  to 
his  wise  determination,  and  be  willing  to 
die  or  live,  as  he  shall  be  pleased  to  appoint. 
I  remember  to  have  read  of  a  godly  woman, 
who,  in  her  sickness,  being  asked  by  one, 
whether  she  was  most  desirous  to  die,  or 
to  live?  She  answered,  ^I  have  no  choice 
in  that  matter,  but  refer  myself  to  the  will 
of  God.'  'But,  (said  the  other)  suppose 
God  should  refer  it  to  you,  whether  to  die 
or  to  live,  which  of  them  would  you 
choose?'  'If  God  (replied  she)  should  re- 
fer the  matter  to  me,  I  would  even  refer  it 
back  again  to  him.'  It  becomes  thee,  0 
man,  to  be  entirely  resigned  to  the  will  of 
thy  Maker,  and  to  stand  like  a  sentinel  in 
thy  station,  ready  to  move,  as  thy  great 
General  and  Commander  shall  give  order 
concerning  thee.  It  would  be  pleasant  and 
acceptable  to  God,  to  see  thee  more  desirous 
to  be  delivered  from  sin,  than  from  sickness. 
For  sin  is  a  far  worse  disease,  than   any 


THE  SICK.  35 

sickness  in  the  world!  beg  importunately, 
that  the  great  Physician  may  cure  this  wo- 
ful  soul-disease,  and  let  him  do  with  the 
body  what  he  pleases.  This  was  David's 
practice  in  his  affliction,  Psal.  xxv.  18, 
"Look  upon  my  affliction,  and  my  pain, 
and  forgive  all  my  sin."  As  for  his  pains 
and  afflictions,  he  asks  no  more,  but  that 
God  would  regard  them,  and  look  upon 
them,  and  do  with  them  as  he  thought  fit; 
but,  as  for  his  sins,  no  less  will  satisfy  him 
than  a  pardon,  and  blotting  them  entirely 
out,  so  that  they  might  be  remembered  no 
more. 


SECTION  V. 

Bind  yourself  with  holy  purposes  and  resolutions,  in 
Christ's  strength,  to  be  more  watchful  against  sin, 
more  diligent  in  duty,  and  to  improve  the  time  of 
health  better,  if  God  shall  be  pleased  to  restore  it 
again  to  you. 

When  God  is  visiting  your  iniquities 
with  rods,  and  pleading  a  controversy  with 
you  for  your  omissions  and  slackness  in 
duty,  he  expects  that  you  will  return  from 
your  backslidings,  and  set  about  a  serious 
reformation  and  change  of  life.  Hosea  v. 
15,  "I  will  go,  and  return  to  my  place, 
till   they  acknowledge  their  offence,  and 


36  COMPANION  FOR 

seek  my  face:  in  their  affliction  they  will 
seek  me  early.''  See  then  that  you  open 
your  ear  to  discipline:  study  to  answer 
God's  call  and  expectation,  and  in  his 
strength  resolve  to  enter  upon  a  new  life. 
"Surely  now  it  is  meet  to  be  said  unto  God, 
I  have  borne  chastisement.  I  will  not  of- 
fend any  more.  That  which  I  see  not, 
teach  thou  me:  if  I  have  done  iniquity,  I 
will  do  so  no  more,"  Job,  xxxiv^.  31,  32. 
Now  is  the  season  you  should  say  with 
Ephraim,  Hosea,  xiv.  8,  "What  have  I  to 
do  any  more  with  idols?" 

Having  duly  examined  yourself,  and 
searched  out  your  sins,  you  ought  to  put  a 
a  bill  of  divorce  into  each  of  their  hands. 
Deliberately  resolve  against  all  your  sins, 
whether  secret  or  open;  and  especially  re- 
solve against  your  darling  and  beloved  sins, 
those  sins  which  do  most  easily  beset  you. 
Resolve  also  against  all  temptations  to  sin, 
and  particularly  against  the  snares  of  bad 
company,  whereby  you  have  been  formerly 
enticed ;  say  now  with  David,  Psal.  cxix. 
115,  "Depart  from  me,  ye  evil  doers:  for 
I  will  keep  the  commandments  of  my 
God." 

You  must  not  only  propose  to  forsake  all 
sin,  but  also  to  mind  every  known  duty: 
that  you  will  make  religion  your  one  thing 


THE  SICK.  37 

needful;  the  pleasing  of  God,  the  chief  busi- 
ness of  your  life;  that  you  will  set  the  Lord 
always  before  you,  give  him  your  heart  in 
all  duties,  aim  at  nearness  and  communion 
with  God  in  every  one  of  them;  and  still 
press  forward  to  the  full  enjoyment  of  God 
in  heaven  through  eternity. 

Resolve  also,  through  grace,  that  you  will, 
in  a  special  manner,  mind  secret  duties, 
which  the  eyes  of  men  do  not  observe,  and 
those  duties  which  conscience  most  upbraids 
you  for  neglecting.  And  you  that  are 
heads  of  families,  resolve  to  make  more 
conscience  of  family  religion,  of  worship- 
ping God  with  your  families,  both  morning 
and  evening;  instructing  your  children  and 
servants  in  the  knowledge  of  Christ;  and 
recommending  religion  and  godliness  to  all 
round  about  you,  whether  relations  or 
strangers. 

And  if  you  would  have  your  resolutions 
eiSectual,  see  that  they  be  accompanied  with 
a  deep  sense  of  your  insufficiency  to  per- 
form them  in  your  own  strength.  Bear  al- 
ways in  mind  the  corruption  and  deceitful- 
ness  of  your  own  heart,  and  make  all  your 
resolutions  in  an  humble  dependence  on  the 
sufficiency  of  Jesus  Christ  your  Surety. 
Observe  the  apostle  Paul's  advice  to  his  son 
Timothy,  2  Tim.  ii.  1,  "Be  strong  in  the 


38  COMPANION  FOR 

grace  that  is  in  Jesus  Christ."  All  your 
stock,  0  believer,  is'  in  his  hand,  so  that 
without  him  you  can  do  nothing;  but, 
through  Christ  strengthening  you,  you  are 
able  to  do  all  things. 

SECTION  VI.  ' 

Set  your  house  in  order,  by  making  your  latter  will,  and 
settling-  your  domestic  and  secular  affairs  while  you 
have  freedom  and  capacity  for  doing  it. 

After  the  heart  is  set  in  order,  the  next 
work  is  to  set  your  house  in  order,  accord- 
ing to  God's  counsel  to  Hezeldah,  Isaiah 
xxxviii.  I.  It  is  recorded  of  the  patriarch 
Abraham,  that  he  was  careful  to  settle  the 
affairs  of  his  family  before  his  death.  Gen. 
XXV.  5,  6.  He  disposed  of  his  estate  to 
Isaac,  and  legacies  to  the  sons  of  his  concu- 
bines. It  is  too  general  a  fault,  that  men 
delay  and  put  off  making  their  wills,  as 
they  do  their  repentance,  to  the  very  last, 
and  so  too  frequently  never  make  them  at 
all.  Consider  the  evil  of  deferring  or  ne- 
glecting this  necessary  affair:  for  if  you, 
upon  whom  God  has  bestowed  means,  shall 
die  intestate,  your  estate  may  descend  other- 
wise than  as  you  intended;  much  of  it  may 
be  spent  in  tedious  law  suits:  such  differ- 
ences may  fall   out  among   relations,  that 


THE  SICK.  39 

should  live  in  friendship  and  mutual  affec- 
tion, as  cannot  be  healed;  some  of  them 
may  be  reduced  to  extreme  want,  when  a 
small  legacy  might  have  put  them  in  a  way 
of  living;  and  many  such  inconveniences 
may  follow.  Well  then,  if  your  neglect 
should  bring  on  these  evils,  and  involve 
posterity  in  endless  strifes  and  conten- 
tions; may  you  not  justly  fear  that  the  guilt 
thereof  will  pursue  you  into  another  world, 
whose  wretched  carelessness  was  the  occa- 
sion of  all  that  mischief? 

Pray,  what  is  the  reason  that  men  put  off 
this  affair.'*  Is  it  not,  because  they  do  not 
incline  to  think  so  seriously  on  death,  as 
this  will  occasion  them  to  do  ?  Does  not 
this  smell  of  abominable  earthly-minded- 
ness,  and  speak  as  if  a  man  desired  all  his 
portion  in  this  life,  and  cared  not  for  a  bet- 
ter? and  that  he  is  so  far  from  preparing 
for  death,  that  he  cannot  endure  to  think  of 
it?  Alas,  that  this  worldly  disposition 
should  so  far  prevail  among  us!  But  surely 
there  is  no  wise  man  who  will  say,  that  the 
putting  off  the  thoughts  of  death  will  keep 
death  at  the  greater  distance;  or  that  pre- 
paring for  death,  and  making  our  wills, 
will  bring  on  death  the  sooner. 

It  were  surely  best  to  order  our  affairs 
seasonably;   yea,  do  it  in  time  of  health, 


40  COMPANION  FOR 

rather  than  delay  it  to  a  sick  bed,  or  a  death 
bed;  for  either  you  may  be  snatched  oflf 
suddenly,  and  have  no  time  for  it;  or  you 
may  be  taken  with  such  a  disease  as  "  shall 
seize  your  tongue,  so  as  you  cannot  express 
your  mind;  or  seize  your  understanding, so 
as  you  cannot  rationally  dispose  of  your  ef- 
fects. And  though  none  of  these  should 
happen,  yet  certainly  it  proves  a  great  dis- 
turbance to  a  dying  man,  to  be  casting  up, 
ordering  and  settling  the  affairs  of  his  fami- 
ly, when  he  should  be  securing  a  heavenly 
mansion  for  his  soul,  and  clearing  up  his 
evidences  of  salvation.  It  is  great  wis- 
dom to  settle  this  affair  at  once;  that  you 
may  have  as  little  to  do  with  the  world  as 
may  be,  and  all  occasions  of  distraction  to 
your  immortal  soul  may  be  prevented,  when 
it  is  near  its  removal  to  an  eternal  and  un- 
changeable state. 

Moreover,  in  settling  your  secular  affairs, 
observe  these  following  advices:  1.  Make 
your  wills  cheerfully,  and  freely  lay  down 
whatever  you  enjoy,  when  God  calls  you 
to  it.  Praise  God  that  you  had  these  things 
while  you  needed  them;  and  when  you- 
have  no  longer  use  for  them,  leave  them 
without  repining,  to  those  that  come  after 
you.  Look  not  back  to  Egypt  when  you 
are  upon  your  march  to  Canaan. 


THE  SICK.  41 

2(1.  See  that  you  deal  justly,  in  provi- 
ding for  your  family,  paying  all  your  just 
debts,  and  making  restitution,  if  you  have 
wronged  any.  Abhor  all  designs  of  de- 
frauding any  of  your  lawful  creditors:  for 
if  your  last  act  should  be  unjust,  you  leave 
a  blot  upon  your  name  here;  and  since  you 
cannot  repent  of  this  wickedness,  it  being 
among  your  last  deeds,  you  expose  yourself 
to  a  fearful  doom  in  the  world  whither  you 
are  oroino;. 

3d.  In  settling  your  estates,  see  that  God 
and  good  uses,  be  not  forgotten  nor  left 
out.  When  you  are  leaving  the  world,  and 
can  glorify  God  no  longer  here  by  your 
words  or  actions,  see  to  honour  the  Lord 
with  your  substance,  by  leaving  some  part 
thereof  to  a  charitable  use.  I  know  it  is  a 
work  of  charity  to  give  for  maintaining  the 
bodies  of  the  poor;  and  especially  the  poor 
of  God's  people,  who  belong  to  his  family; 
but  it  is  much  more  pious  and  charitable,  to 
leave  something  for  propagating  Christian 
knowledge  in  dark  places,  for  educating  poor 
children  to  read  the  Scriptures,  and  instruct- 
ing ignorant  souls  in  the  knowledge  of  Jesus 
Christ.  It  is  much  to  be  lamented,  that  so 
many  rich  men  among  us  die,  and  leave 
nothing  to  such  pious  uses.  The  liberality 
of  Papists  on  their  death  beds,  may  give  a  se- 

E 


42  COMPANION  FOR 

vere  reproof  to  many  professed  Protestants. 
Shall  the  proud  conceit  of  merit,  and  the 
imaginary  fear  of  purgatory,  prompt  men  to 
do  more  this  way,  than  the  certain  persua- 
sion of  the  love  of  God  in  Christ,  and  the 
well  grounded  hope  of  eternal  life  through 
the  alone  merits  of  Jesus  Christ?  0  what  a 
reproach  is  this  to  our  holy  religion  ! 

4th.  It  might  be  much  to  the  glory  of 
God,  and  good  of  souls,  that  a  greater  part 
of  our  testaments  and  latter  wills  should 
consist  of  solemn  charges,  and  exhortations 
and  blessings  to  our  children,  or  those  to 
whom  we  bequeath  any  legacy;  so  as  they 
can  never  open  our  testaments,  or  look  into 
them,  but  they  might  hear  something  that 
may  make  impressions  on  their  souls,  for 
their  spiritual  edification,  and  for  quicken- 
ing them  to  the  diligent  practice  of  both 
family  and  personal  godliness. 


CHAPTER  II. 
SECTION  I. 

Justify  God  in  the  greatest  afflictions  which  befall  you. 

Though  God  should  condemn  you,  see 
that  you  acquit  him,  and  say,  he  is  righteous 
in  all  his  dealings.     When  the  Church  was 


THE  SICK.  43 

under  the  heaviest  distress,  she  finds  cause 
to  justify  God,  Lam.  i.  IS,  ^^The  Lord  is 
righteous,  for  I  have  rebelled  against  his 
commandment."  So  does  the  godly  Nehe- 
miah,  Neh.  ix.  33,  '^Howbeit  thou  art  just 
in  all  that  is  brought  upon  us;  for  thou  hast 
done  right,  but  we  have  done  wickedly." 
The  same  does  holy  David  acknowledge, 
Psal.  cxix.  75,  "  I  know  0  Lord,  that  thy 
judgments  are  right,  and  that  in  faithfulness 
thou  hast  afflicted  me."  Now,  in  order  to 
bring  you  to  this  agreeable  frame,  and  to 
convince  you  of  the  equity  and  justice  of 
God  in  his  dispensations,  however  heavy 
and  long  your  distress  may  be,  I  shall  lay 
before  you  the  following  considerations: 

1st.  Consider  the  infinitely  holy  and 
righteous  nature  of  that  God  who  smiteth 
thee,  Psal.  cxix.  137,  "Righteous  art  thou, 
0  Lord:  and  upright  are  thy  judgments." 
We  presume  it  of  a  righteous  man,  that  he 
will  do  righteous  things ;  and  shall  we  not 
much  more  believe  so  of  a  holy  and  right- 
eous God  ?  We  cannot  be  infallibly  cer- 
tain that  a  righteous  man  will  always  do 
so ;  for  a  righteous  man  may  leave  his 
righteousness,  because  the  creature  is  muta- 
ble: but  God  is  immutably  righteous;  so 
that  we  may  be  confident  of  it,  that  the 
Judge  of  all  the  earth  will  do  right,  for  it  is 


44  COMPANION  FOR 

impossible  he  can  do  otherwise,  Zech.  iii. 
5,  "  The  just  Lord  is  in  the  midst  thereof, 
he  will  not  do  iniquity."  He  will  not,  he 
cannot ;  for  it  is  contrary  to  his  nature. 

2d.  Consider  that  God  never  brings  on 
any  affliction  without  a  cause,  1  Cor.  xi.  30, 
"  For  this  cause  many  are  sick."  He  has 
still  just  ground  for  the  heaviest  affliction, 
from  your  sins  and  provocations,  and  may 
always  say  to  you,  as  to  Israel,  Jer.  ii.  17, 
19.  "  Hast  thou  not  procured  this  unto  thy- 
self, in  that  thou  hast  forsaken  the  Lord  thy 
God,  when  he  led  thee  by  the  way  ?  Thine 
own  wickedness  shall  correct  thee,  and  thy 
backslidings  shall  reprove  thee:  know  there- 
fore, and  see,  that  it  is  an  evil  thing  and  bit- 
ter, that  thou  hast  forsaken  the  Lord."  There 
is  still  ground  enough  for  affliction,  to  be 
found  in  the  best  of  God's  people ;  and 
therefore  it  is  said.  Lam.  iii.  33,  "  For  he 
doth  not  afflict  willingly,  nor  grieve  the 
children  of  men."  No  ;  it  is  our  sins  that 
oblige  him  to  it.  As  Christ  whipped  the 
sellers  of  oxen  and  sheep  out  of  the  temple 
with  a  whip,  (as  is  generally  thought,)  made 
of  their  own  cords:  so  God  never  scourgeth 
us  but  with  a  whip  made  of  our  own  sins, 
Prov.  V.  22,  "  His  own  iniquities  shall  take 
the  wicked  himself,  and  he  shall  be  holden 
with  the  cords  of  his  sins."     If  we  consider 


THE  SICK.  45 

the  mighty  God  as  a  Lord  dispensing  grace, 
then  we  find  he  acts  sovereignly,  and  ac- 
cording to  his  will  and  pleasure,  Matth.  xi. 
26,  "Even  so,  Father,  for  so  it  seemeth 
good  in  thy  sight."  But,  if  we  consider 
him  as  a  Judge  dispensing  judgments,  he 
never  does  it  without  a  previous  cause  on 
the  creature's  part.  God's  treasure  of  mercy 
is  always  full  and  ready  to  be  let  out  to 
them  that  seek  it;  but  his  treasure  of  wrath 
is  empty  till  men  fill  it  up  by  their  sins, 
Rom.  ii.  16,  "Thou  treasurestup  to  thyself 
wrath  against  the  day  of  wrath."  We  do 
always  provide  fuel  for  God's  wrath  before 
it  kindle  and  break  out  upon  us. 

3d.  Consider  farther  this  instance  of  God's 
equity,  that  when  there  is  a  cause  given, 
God  does  not  presently  take  it,  but  continues 
to  threaten  often,  and  warn  long,  before  he 
execute  the  sentence  of  his  word.  He 
sends  lesser  strokes  as  warnings  of  greater, 
if  we  repent  not;  and  he  repeats  his  warn- 
ings many  times,  both  by  word  and  provi- 
dence, before  he  smites.  Yea,  even  when 
repeated  warnings  are  slighted,  he  delays  a 
long  time ;  and  waits  to  be  gracious,  Isaiah 
XXX.  18.  And  when  man's  obstinacy  and 
incorrigibleness  arrive  to  such  a  height, 
that  he  can  spare  no  longer ;  yet,  how  loth 
is  he  to  give  them  up  to  severe  judgments! 
E  2 


46  COMPANION  FOR 

Hos.  xi.  S,  "  How  shall  I  give  thee  up,  Eph- 
raim?  How  shall  I  deliver  thee,  Israel? 
How  shall  I  make  thee  as  Admah  ^  How 
shall  I  set  thee  as  Zeboim  ?  Mine  heart  is 
turned  within  me,  my  repentings  are  kin- 
dled together."  When  the  Lord  has  sin- 
ners in  his  arms,  ready  to  give  them  up  to 
severe  judgments,  yet  he  makes  a  stand, 
and  would  fain  be  prevented  before  he  pro- 
ceed to  his  strange  work;  for  so  he  calls  his 
acts  of  judgment,  Isa.  xxviii.  21.  Acts  of 
mercy  are  most  agreeable  and  pleasant  to 
God,  Micah  vii.  18,  "  He  delighteth  in  mer- 
cy:''  but  judgment  is  his  strange  act,  and 
his  strange  work. 

4th.  Consider  that  when  at  last  he  sends 
strokes  on  us,  they  are  always  lighter  than 
we  deserve;  he  exacts  not  the  whole  debt 
that  sinners  owe  to  his  justice,  as  Ezra  ac- 
knowledges, Ezra,  ix.  13,  "Thou  hast  pun- 
ished us  less  than  our  iniquities  deserve." 
The  stroke  he  there  is  speaking  of,  was  a 
most  heavy  judgment;  fearful  ruin  and  de- 
solation came  upon  Jerusalem,  and  the 
whole  land  of  Judah ;  the  city  and  temple 
were  burnt  to  ashes,  the  people  carried  cap- 
tives to  a  strange  land,  and  treated  as  bond 
slaves  among  the  heathens;  yet,  says  the 
holy  man, ''  Thou  hast  punished  us  less  than 
our  iniquities  deserve."     That  is  to  say,  it 


THE  SICK.  47 

is  true,  we  have  been  carried  to  Babylon, 
but  in  justice  we  might  have  been  sent  to 
hell:  our  houses  were  burnt,  but  our  bodies 
might  have  been  burnt  too:  we  have  been 
drinking  water,  but  we  might  have  been 
drinking  blood:  we  have  had  grievous  bur- 
dens on  earth,  but  we  might  have  been 
groaning  in  hell:  we  were  banished  from 
the  temple,  but  we  might  have  been  eter- 
nally banished  from  God's  presence."  We 
think  it  a  great  favour  among  men,  when 
any  punishment  is  mitigated,  when  the  sen- 
tence of  death  is  changed  into  banishment, 
or  when  banishment  is  turned  into  a  fine ; 
or  a  great  fine  is  made  smaller.  And  will 
you  think  God  deals  rigorously  with  you, 
when  he  lays  you  on  a  sick-bed,  when  he 
might  justly  have  laid  you  in  hell,  and  pour- 
ed out  all  his  wrath  upon  you  there  ?  You 
but  taste  of  the  brim  of  the  cup,  when  God 
might  cause  you  to  drink  of  the  bottom  and 
dregs  of  it. 

Have  you  not  cause  then  to  acknowledge 
God's  justice,  nay,  even  his  mercy  too,  in 
his  dealings  with  you,  however  severe  they 
may  seem  to  be  ?  May  you  not,  with  good 
reason  say,  any  thing  less  than  hell  is  a 
mercy  to  such  an  ill-deserving  creature  as 
I  am?  If  even  a  hard-hearted  Pharaoh, 
under  distress,  went  so  far  as  to  own  the 


48  COMPANION  FOR 

Justice  of  God,  Exod.  ix.  28,  '^I  have  sin- 
ned; the  Lord  is  righteous:'^  shall  any  pro- 
fessed Christian  fall  short  of  that  ohstinate 
Egyptian  ? 


SECTION  II. 

Labour  still  to  be  sensible  of  God's  hand  under  heavy  af- 
fliction, and  beware  of  stupidity  and  unconcernedness 
under  it. 

It  is  a  sin  to  faint  under  heavy  affliction, 
but  it  is  a  duty  to  feel  it,  Heb.  xii.  5,  "  My 
son,  despise  not  thou  the  chastening  of  the 
Lord,  nor  faint  when  thou  art  rebuked  of 
him.^'  The  Apostle  there  would  caution 
against  two  extremes  which  every  Christian 
under  the  rod  should  be  careful  to  avoid,  1. 
Despising  or  making  light  of  affliction.  2. 
Sinking  or  desponding  under  affliction.  We 
are  in  great  danger  of  running  into  the  one 
or  the  other.  As  to  the  first,  we  may  be 
said  to  despise  the  chastening  of  the  Lord 
when  we  do  not  observe  God's  hand  in  our 
affliction,  so  as  to  reform  the  things  where- 
by he  was  displeased:  or  when  we  resolve 
to  abide  the  trial,  by  the  strength  of  our 
own  resolutions  and  stout  heartedness,  with- 
out looking  to  God  for  supporting  grace: 
or  when  we  become  stupid  and  insensible 


THE  SICK.  49 

under  the  heavy  and  long  continued  rod. 
This  despising  and  slighting  of  the  rod,  is 
not  patience,  but  stupidity;  it  is  not  Chris- 
tian magnanimity,  but  a  stoical  temper  of 
mind,  most  sinful  and  provoking  to  God. 
We  -see  how  angry  God  is  with  sinners 
when  his  strokes  are  not  felt,  Isa.  xlii.  25, 
"  He  hath  poured  upon  him  the  fury  of  his 
anger,  and  it  hath  set  him  on  fire  round 
about,  yet  he  knew  not;  and  it  hath  burned 
him,  yet  he  laid  it  not  to  heart."  Jer.  v.  3, 
"  Thou  hast  stricken  them,  but  they,  have 
not  grieved:  thou  hast  consumed  them,  but 
they  have  refused  to  receive  correction ; 
they  have  made  their  faces  harder  than  a 
rock,  they  have  refused  to  return."  There 
is  little  hope  of  a  scholar  minding  his  lesson, 
who  is  regardless  of  whipping.  It  is  a 
dreadful  sign  to  be  like  Pharaoh,  sleeping 
in  our  sins,  when  God  is  thundering  in  his 
wrath.  He  that  will  sleep  when  his  house 
is  on  fire,  or  lie  still  in  bed,  as  if  he  were 
not  concerned,  may  assuredly  expect  to  be 
consumed  in  its  flames.  As  David  could 
not  bear  it,  when  the  messengers  he  sent  to 
the  Ammonites  out  of  good  will,  were  af- 
fronted and  despised;  neither  will  God  en- 
dure it,  when  the  messengers  he  sends  to 
sinners  are  slighted;  for  he  that  slights  a 
messenger,  affronts  his  master.     Those  who 


50  COMPANION  FOR 

make  light  of  affliction,  make  light  of  God 
that  sends  it,  and  make  light  of  sin  that  pro- 
cures it. 

Remember,  every  affliction  is  a  messen- 
ger from  God,  and  deserves  a  hearing  from 
you.  It  comes  to  you  with  such  a  message 
as  Ehud  did  to  Eglon,  Judges  ii.  20,  "  I 
have  an  errand  from  God  to  thee,  0  king:" 
I  have  a  message  from  God  to  thee,  0  Chris- 
tain,  0  sinner.  Well,  lend  an  ear,  and 
hearken  with  reverence  and  attention  to  this 
errand ;  say,  "  Speak,  Lord,  for  thy  servant 
heareth,  what  wouldst  thou  have  me  to 
do?"  Believe  that  God  speaks  as  really 
to  you  by  his  rod,  as  by  his  word ;  there- 
fore he  says,  "Hear  ye  the  rod."  God 
spake  as  truly  by  his  ten  plagues  to  Egypt, 
as  he  did  by  his  precepts  to  Israel.  And  if 
the  calm  voice  of  the  word  were  more  re- 
garded, we  should  hear  less  of  the  rough 
voice  of  the  rod.  As  Gideon  took  briars 
and  thorns  of  the  wilderness,  and  with  them 
taught  the  men  of  Succoth,  who  would  not 
be  taught  by  fairer  means.  Judges  viii.  16, 
so  God  takes  the  sharp  prickles  of  sore  af- 
flictions, to  teach  you  his  statutes,  when 
you  will  not  be  taught  by  softer  methods. 
Beware  then  of  grieving  God's  Spirit,  by 
turning  stupid  and  insensible  under  sharp 
or   long   continued   trials :    but   the   more 


THE  SICK.  51 

pains  God  is  at  with  you  by  his  rod,  heark- 
en the  more  carefuly  to  his  voice;  and  labour 
to  make  the  greater  proficiency  in  the  school 
of  affliction,  where  he  thinks  fit  to  continue 
you;  that  so  you  may  inherit  that  blessing, 
Psal.  xciv.  12,  "Blessed  is  the  man  whom 
thou  chastenest,  0  Lord,  and  teachest  him 
out  of  thy  law." 


SECTION  III. 

Beware  of  misconstruing  God's  dealings  towards  you, 
and  of  charging-  him  foolishly. 

We  are  apt  to  believe  Satan^s  suggestions 
under  heavy  trials,  and  to  entertain  wrong 
thoughts  of  God  and  his  dispensations. 
Now,  these  you  ought  to  guard  against:  as, 
for  instance,  1st.  Beware  of  harbouring 
atheistical  thoughts,  as  if  there  were  no 
Providence,  no  wise  Governor  of  this  low- 
er world,  no  distinction  between  the  good 
and  bad;  and  that  it  is  to  no  purpose  to  be 
religious,  like  those  mentioned  in  Mai.  iii. 
14,  "Ye  have  said,  it  is  vain  to  serve  God: 
and  what  profit  is  it,  that  we  have  kept  his 
ordinances,  and  walked  mournfully  before 
the  Lord  of  Hosts!"  Yea  even  the  Pslam- 
ist,  when  he  begins  to  compare  his  own 
sharp  trials  with  the  ease  and  prosperity  of 


52  COMPANION  FOR 

the  wicked,  is  tempted  to  think  all  religion 
in  vain,  and  say,  Psal.  Ixxiii.  13,  14, 
"Verily  I  have  cleansed  my  heart  in  vain, 
and  washed  my  hands  in  innocency.  For 
all  the  day  long  have  I  been  plagued,  and 
chastened  every  morning."  But  these  are 
nothing  but  the  hellish  suggestions  of  Satan, 
that  irreconcileable  enemy  of  God  and 
precious  souls,  against  which  we  should 
closely  stop  our  ears. 

2.  Beware  of  charging  God  in  your 
hearts  with  rigour  or  injustice  in  his  deal- 
ing, like  these,  Ezek.  xviii.  25,  ^<Yet  ye 
say,  the  way  of  the  Lord  is  not  equal." 
How  highly  unjust  and  injurious,  are  such 
thoughts  of  Him  who  is  the  Judge  of  all  the 
earth,  and  cannot  but  do  right! 

3.  Beware  of  thinking  that  heavy  af- 
flictions always  speak  wrath  in  God  against 
thee:  No,  sometimes  they  speak  forth  love, 
and  God  may  be  carrying  on  a  design  of 
mercy  to  your  soul,  viz.  to  subdue  your 
strong  lusts,  and  draw  you  nearer  to  him- 
self. As  for  those  who  think  that  the 
smarting  rod,  and  divine  love,  cannot  dw^ell 
together,  let  them  read  that  passage,  Heb. 
xii.  5,  6,  "And  ye  have  forgotten  the  ex- 
hortation which  speaketh  unto  you  as  unto 
children.  My  son  despise  not  thou  the  chas- 
tening of  the  Lord,  nor  faint  when  thou 


THE  SICK.  53 

art  rebuked  of  him.  For  whom  the  Lord 
loveth  he  chasteneth,  and  scourgeth  every 
son  whom  he  receiveth." 

4th.  Beware  of  desponding  and  dis- 
trustful thoughts  of  God,  under  sharp  afflic- 
tions. Some  are  ready  to  raze  the  founda- 
tion, quit  their  interest  in  God,  and  the 
promises,  and  cast  away  their  hope  and  con- 
fidence; saying  with  Gideon,  Judges  vi.  13, 
"Oh,  my  Lord,  if  the  Lord  be  with  us,  why 
then  is  all  this  evil  befallen  us  ?"  So  David 
was  ready  to  draw  a  hasty  conclusion,  Psal. 
xxxi.  22,  "I  said  in  my  haste,  I  am  cut  oflf 
from  before  thine  eyes."  But  this  was  the 
effect  of  unbelief;  for  "he  that  believeth 
will  not  make  haste." 


SECTION  IV. 

Under  sore  trouble  and  distress,  labour  to  exercise  a 
strong  and  lively  faith. 

It  was  a  noble  and  heroic  resolution  in 
that  holy  man  Job,  under  his  singular  trials, 
Job  xiii.  15,  "Though  he  slay  me,  yet  will 
I  trust  in  him."  q.  d.  Let  my  strokes  be 
ever  so  heavy,  yet  I  will  not  let  go  of  his 
word  and  promises;  I  will  not  raze  these 
foundations  of  my  hope.  It  was  the  way 
the  Psalmist  kept  himself  from  sinking  un- 
der  his  heavy  burdens,   Psal.   xxviii.    13, 

F 


54  COMPANION  FOR 

«I  had  fainted  unless  I  had  believed  to  see 
the  goodness  of  the  Lord,  in  the  land  of 
the  living."  Consider  but  a  little,  the 
noble  influence  that  faith  has  to  strengthen 
and  support  the  soul  under  sore  trials. 

1st.  Faith  seizes  the  great  Gospel  pro- 
mise of  salvation  in  and  through  Jesus 
Christ,  and  thus  secures  the  soul's  main  in- 
terest through  eternity;  which  may  make 
the  soul  easy  in  every  lot. 

2d.  Faith  views  God  in  Christ  at  the 
helm  in  the  greatest  storm,  and  thus  it  "en- 
dures, as  seeing  him  who  is  invisible." 
Heb.  xi.  27. 

3d.  Faith  casts  the  soul's  anchor  upon 
the  Rock  of  Ages,  and  stays  itself  on  God, 
and  the  faithful  promises;  whereby  the 
soul  is  eased  and  unburdened  of  its  fears  and 
melancholy  apprehensions,  Psal.  iv.  22. 
Isa.  1.  10. 

4th.  Faith  brings  new  strength  and 
auxiliary  supplies  of  grace  from  heaven, 
when  the  former  supplies  are  exhausted  and 
spent;  wherof  David  had  the  sweet  expe- 
rience. Psal.  xxvii.  13.  As  God  plants 
and  actuates  grace  in  the  soul,  so  he  is 
pleased  to  come  in  with  seasonable  supplies 
and  reinforcements  to  the  weak  and  decay- 
ing graces  of  his  people,  according  to  their 
present   exigencies    and    pressures.      And 


THE  SICK.  55 

thus  from  time  to  time,  he  feeds  the  be- 
liever's lamp  with  fresh  oil,  gives  more 
faith,  more  love,  more  hope,  and  more  de- 
sires; and  thus  he  gives  power  to  the  saint, 
and  strengthens  the  things  which  remain, 
when  ready  to  die. 

5th.  Faith  keeps  the  soul  from  sinking 
under  heavy  trials,  by  bringing  in  former 
experiences  of  the  power,  mercy,  and  faith- 
fulness of  God  to  the  afflicted  soul.  Hereby 
was  the  Psalmist  supported  in  distress, 
Psal.  xiii.  6.  Psal.  Ixxxvii.  4.  0,  saith, 
faith,  remember  what  God  hath  done  both 
for  thy  outward  and  inward  man ;  he  hath 
not  only  delivered  thy  body  when  in  trou- 
ble, but  he  hath  done  great  things  for  thy 
soul ;  he  hath  brought  thee  out  of  a  state  of 
dark  nature,  entered  into  a  covenant  rela- 
tion with  thee ;  he  has  helped  thee  to  pray, 
and  many  times  has  heard  thy  prayers  and 
saw  thy  tears.  Has  he  not  formerly  brought 
thee  out  of  the  horrible  pit,  and  out  of  the 
miry  clay,  and  put  a  new  song  into  thy 
mouth,  and  made  thee  resolve  never  to 
give  way  to  such  unbelieving  doubts  and 
fears  again?  And  how  unbecoming  is  it 
for  thee  now  to  sink  into  trouble? 

6th.  Faith  supports  the  soul,  by  giving 
it  a  pleasant  view  and  a  prospect  of  a  happy 
termination  of  all  trouble ;  when  it  shall  be 


56  COMPANION  FOR 

admitted  to  see  and  dwell  with  Christ  here- 
after. Thus  was  Job  supported  in  his 
greatest  distress,  Job  xix.  25 — 27,  **For  I 
know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth;  and  that 
he  shall  stand  at  the  latter  day  upon  the 
earth.  Whom  I  shall  see  for  myself,  and 
mine  eyes  shall  behold,'^  &c.  A  believing 
view  of  the  soul's  meeting  with  its  Re- 
deemer, and  receiving  a  crown  of  glory 
from  Him  at  last,  is  an  excellent  support  to 
a  Christian  under  the  heaviest  affliction; 
and  so  it  was  to  Paul,  2  Tim.  iv.  7,  8. 

7th.  Faith  gives  great  support,  by  the 
encouraging  representations  it  makes  of 
Christ,  and  of  his  present  concern  for  the 
believer  while  under  affliction.  As,  for  in- 
stance, 1.  Faith  represents  Christ  to  a  be- 
liever under  trials,  as  sympathizing  with 
him  under  his  distress,  feeling  his  pain, 
hearing  his  groans,  bearing  his  burdens, 
and  ready  to  relieve  him  in  his  own  ap- 
pointed time,  which  it  well  becomes  him  to 
wait  for. 

2.  Faith  represents  Christ  as  putting 
his  almighty  arm  under  the  believer's 
head,  and  conveying  invisible  strength  to 
support  and  hold  him  up,  under  his  greatest 
pressures. 

3.  Faith  represents  Christ  as  pleading 
the  afflicted  believer's  cause  with  God,  and 


THE  SICK.  57 

answering  all  the  charges  of  the  law,  the 
challenges  of  conscience,  and  accusations  of 
Satan  against  him. 

4.  Faith  represents  Christ  as  standing 
by  the  furnace,  as  a  refiner,  where  his  gold 
is  melting;  carefully  overseeing  the  trials 
of  his  people,  that  they  may  work  for  their 
good;  and  ready  to  bring  them  out  thereof, 
when  they  are  sufficiently  purified  from 
their  dross. 

5.  Faith  represents  Christ  as  smiling 
on  his  people  under  the  cross,  whispering 
peace  into  their  ear,  and  saying,  "Well  done 
good  and  faithful  servant." 


SECTION  V. 

Labour  to  bear  with  patience  whatever  load  of  trouble 
the  Lord  appoints  for  you. 

We  will  perhaps  observe  some  who  are 
strangers  to  religion  contentedly  enduring 
very  painfid  evils;  and  this  they  may  do  by 
virtue  of  a  natural  hardness,  and  resolution 
which  some  are  endowed  with,  or  on  ac- 
count of  arguments  furnished  by  human 
prudence :  this  is  only  patience  as  a  moral 
virtue,  which  some  attain  to.  But  it  is  pa- 
tience as  a  spiritual  grace,  or  a  fruit  of  the 
Spirit,  which  we  must  aim  at  under  our 
trials;  that  we  may  bear  them  contentedly 
F  2 


58  COMPANION  FOR 

from  divine  principles  and  to  divine  ends. 
Now  this  grace  of  patience  we  most  earnest- 
ly beg  from  God  under  heavy  afflictions,  for 
it  is  only  he  that  must  work  it  in  us;  and 
therefore  he  is  called  the  God  of  patience, 
Rom.  XV.  5.  And  in  order  to  your  attaining 
this  grace,  I  shall  lay  before  you  the  follow- 
ing considerations,  which  may  be  useful, 
through  the  Lord's  blessing,  for  that  end. 

1st.  Consider  the  patience  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  under  sufferings  inexpressibly 
greater  than  yours.  When  it  pleased  the 
Lord  to  bruise  him,  and  put  him  to  grief ; 
how  patiently  did  he  bear  it  all  ?  Accord- 
ing to  that  remarkable  word,  Isa.  liii.  7, 
"  He  was  oppressed,  and  he  was  afflicted, 
yet  he  opened  not  his  mouth;  he  is  brought 
as  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter,  and  as  a  sheep 
before  her  shearers  is  dumb,  so  he  opened 
not  his  mouth/'  Now  Christ  suffered  as 
an  example  of  patience,  though  this  was  not 
his  chief  design ;  and  surely  all  the  mem- 
bers of  the  body  should  study  to  imitate  the 
head  in  patience.  Did  your  blessed  Saviour 
patiently  endure  such  agonies  and  pressures 
of  wrath  for  you ;  and  will  you  decline  to 
undergo  some  short  pains  or  sickness  in 
obedience  to  his  commands  ? 

2d.  Consider  God's  sovereignty  over 
you.     He  is  the  great  Potter,  and  you  are 


THE  SICK.  59 

his  clay:  and  why  may  he  not  do  with  you 
as  he  pleaseth?  If  your  children  offend 
you,  you  chastise  them,  and  perhaps  do  it 
sometimes  without  reason;  yet  how  ill  do 
you  take  it  when  they  refuse  to  submit? 
How  w411  you  drive  and  spur  your  horses 
under  you,  and  it  may  be  sometimes  un- 
reasonably? Yet  they  bear  all  quietly,  and 
make  no  re^sistance.  Shall  they  take  blows 
from  their  master,  and  will  not  you  from 
your  Maker,  who  has  far  more  power  over 
you  ?  If  any  accuse  you  of  cruelty  to  your 
children  or  beasts,  you  do  not  take  it  well, 
because  you  think  you  may  do  what  you  will 
with  your  own,  and  no  man  has  a  right  to 
quarrel  with  you:  but  has  not  God  a  greater 
property  in  you,  than  you  in  your  children 
or  cattle,  and  will  you  not  patiently  submit 
to  your  wise  and  absolute  sovereign? 

3d.  Consider  your  sins  as  the  merito- 
rious cause  of  all  your  afflictions,  however 
severe  they  may  be.  If  you  have  right 
thoughts  of  )'our  sins,  and  of  their  aggrava- 
tions, your  mind  may  be  composed  to  a 
patient  submission  to  God's  hand:  if  sin  be 
heavy  on  you,  all  your  afflictions  will  be 
light.  Luther  gives  this  as  a  reason  why 
he  slighted  the  rage  of  the  Pope  and  empe- 
ror, and  all  his  outward  troubles:  they  are 
all  little  to  me,  because  sin  is  so  weighty  on 


60  COMPANION  FOR 

me.  Hence  it  was  that  Paul  complained 
not  at  all  of  his  sufferings,  as  great  as  they 
were:  but  he  cried  out  much  of  his  sins, 
Rom.  vii.  24,  "  0  wretched  man  that  I  am, 
who  shall  deliver  me  from  the  body  of  this 
death!'^  Sense  of  sin  swallows  up  the  sense 
of  affliction,  as  the  ocean  does  little  brooks. 
For  with  whom  should  you  quarrel,  but 
yourself,  when  you  bring  troubles  on  your- 
self? This  consideration  should  bring  you 
to  resolve  and  say  with  the  prophet,  Micah 
vii.  9,  "  I  will  bear  the  indignation  of  the 
Lord,  because  I  have  sinned  against  him." 

4th.  Consider  how  sharp  soever  the 
pains  are  you  are  called  to  bear,  yet  they 
fall  infinitely  short  of  what  you  have  de- 
served at  God's  hands.  It  is  of  his  infinite 
mercy  that  death  and  everlasting  destruction 
have  not  been  your  portion  long  since;  and 
that  you  are  not  now  suffering  under  the 
extremity  of  his  indignation  in  the  bottom- 
less pit,  together  with  the  devil  and  his 
angels.  And  consequently,  whatsoever  falls' 
short  of  this,  is  truly  a  great  mercy;  and  is 
so  far  from  being  a  ground  of  quarrelling,  that 
the  greatest  sufferer  on  this  side  hell,  has 
just  cause  to  adore  God's  clemency  in  deal- 
ing more  favourably  with  him  than  he  de- 
served. 

5th.     Compare   your  case    with    others 


THE  SICK.  61 

that  have  been,  or  presently  are  in  distress. 
Consider  how  many  there  are,  far  more 
pious  and  devoted  to  God  than  you,  who 
^suffer  greater  and  longer  evils  than  you  do, 
and  who  are  deprived  of  the  temporal  com- 
forts which  you  enjoy.  You  do  not  suffer 
as  much  as  you  might,  nor  as  much  as  Christ 
suffered  for  you,  nor  as  much  as  you  justly 
deserve  to  suffer.  Do  not  say  there  is  none 
so  hardly  dealt  with  as  you  are:  for  you 
know  not  the  affliction  of  others.  Consider 
duly  the  trials  of  that  eminent  saint  Job,  in 
all  the  circumstances  thereof,  and  see  if  you 
can  say  that  your  sorrow  is  near  so  great  as 
his  sorrow  was.  Again,  compare  your  case 
with  that  of  the  damned  in  hell,  who  lie 
down  in  endless  flames,  so  that  they  have 
no  rest  day  nor  night,  but  the  smoke  of 
their  torment  ascends  forever:  and  think 
what  a  blessing  it  is,  that  you  are  yet  in  a 
state  of  salvation,  and  not  delivered  over  to 
these  everlasting  burnings,  which  were  the 
due  demerits  of  your  sins,  and  to  which  you 
might  long  ago  have  been  justly  condemned, 
had  it  not  been  for  the  patience  and  long- 
suffering  of  Almighty  God,  who  wants  to  be 
gracious  to  guilty  sinners.  When  you  con- 
sider these  things,  instead  of  being  dissatis- 
fied with  the  divine  dispensations,  you  have 
cause -to  bless  God,  that  matters  are  not 


62  COMPANION  FOR 

worse  with  you;  and  that  you  are  kept  out 
of  hell  to  this  day,  where  thousands,  no 
more  guilty  than  you,  are  now  in  endless 
despair. 


SECTION  VI. 

Guard  against  repining  complaints  and  discontented 
murmurings  against  the  providence  of  God,  under 
heavy  sickness  and  affliction. 

To  deter  you  from  these  murmurings  and 
complaints  in  trouble,  I  shall  lay  before  you 
the  following  considerations:  1st.  They  who 
deserve  the  worst,  do  commonly  complain 
and  murmur  most,  ^ind  are  most  ready  to  think 
they  are  hardly  dealt  with..  The  unthankful 
Israelites  were  still  murmuring.  Ambitious 
Absalom  was  discontented.  Bloody  Haman, 
in  the  midst  of  all  his  greatness,  cries  out, 
^' What  doth  all  this  avail  me  ?"  But  humble 
Jacob  said  he  was  not  worthy  of  the  least  of  all 
the  mercies  and  truth  which  God  had  show- 
ed him.  And  holy  Job  blessed  God,  and 
patiently  submitted  when  he  took  from  him, 
as  well  as  when  he  gave  to  him. 

2d.  Murmuring  is  a  sin  that  God  takes 
special  notice  of,  and  looks  on  as  an  injury 
and  affront  done  immediately  against  him- 
self. Numb.  xiv.  27,  "I  have  heard  the 
murmurings  of  the  children  of  Israel,.which 


THE  SICK.  63 

they  murmur  against  me."  He  that  gives 
ear  to  the  groan  of  his  own  spirit,  also  hears 
the  grumblings  of  yours,  and  will  reckon 
with  you  for  them. 

3d.  It  can  in  no  wise  benefit  or  relieve 
us  in  distress.  I  may  say  of  sinful  com- 
plaining, (as  Christ  of  sinful  care,)  Which 
of  you,  by  complaining,  can  add  one  cubit 
to  his  stature  ?  What  ease  or  relief  can  you 
get  by  contending  with  God  ?  Nay,  instead 
of  easing  you  of  your  burden,  it  will  make 
it  the  heavier;  as  a  child  the  more  he  strug- 
gles with  his  parents,  the  more  he  is  beaten. 
The  Israelites  were  once  within  eleven  days 
journey  of  Canaan ;  but  by  their  murmur- 
ings,  they  provoked  God  to  lead  them  a 
forty  years  march  in  the  wilderness  before 
they  could  reach  it. 

4th.  Whatever  be  your  distress,  there 
is  no  just  ground  for  complaints.  Remem- 
ber that  word  of  the  afflicted  church.  Lam. 
iii.  39,  "Wherefore  doth  a  living  man  com- 
plain, a  man  for  the  punishment  of  his  sins?" 
A  man  living,  a  man  upon  the  earth,  a  man 
out  of  hell,  has  no  cause  to  complain,  what- 
ever be  his  affliction.  For  let  him  compare 
his  sin  and  punishment  together,  he  will 
find  there  is  no  proportion;  sin  is  a  trans- 
gression against  the  infinite  God;  punish- 
ment is  but  an  affliction  upon    the    finite 


64  COMPANION  FOR 

creature:  sin  strikes  at  the  very  being  of 
God;  but  punishment  only  at  the  comfort 
of  the  creature.  So  that  whatever  your 
punishment  be,  you  have  more  cause  to  give 
thanks  than  complain;  and  to  say  with 
Ezra,  "  Thou  hast  punished  us  less  than  our 
iniquities  deserve.'^  It  might  have  been  a 
thousand  times  worse,  if  strict  justice  had 
been  the  rule:  it  is  of  the  Lord's  mercies 
we  are  not  consumed. 

5th.  When  you  murmur  under  sickness, 
you  quarrel  with  the  messenger  of  that  so- 
vereign God,  who  gave  you  your  lives,  and 
can  take  them  again  when  bethinks  fit;  and 
we  know  messengers  ought  not  to  be  mal- 
treated or  abused,  whatever  be  their  com- 
mission, and  far  less  when  they  are  sent 
upon  a  good  design.  Now  if  you  consider 
the  design  of  this  messenger,  and  his  errand 
to  you,  instead  of  fretting  and  quarrelling 
at  his  coming,  you  ought  rather  to  bless 
God  that  sends  such  a  suitable  harbinger 
and  forerunner  to  tell  you  that  death  is  ap- 
proaching, and  that  he  is  willing  to  take  so 
much  pains  to  wean  you  from  the  world, 
and  make  you  ready  to  depart  by  long  con- 
tinued trouble;  when  he  might  have  seized 
you  in  a  violent  manner,  and  driven  you 
away  by  main  force,  without  using  any 
means  to  obtain  your  consent.     Have  not 


THE  SICK.  65 

many,  who  were  most  unwilling  to  die  at 
the  beginning  of  a  sickness,  been  brought, 
by  the  increase  and  continuance  of  it,  to 
be  well  satisfied  to  leave  the  world,  and 
long  to  be  with  Christ?  And  was  not  this 
for  their  advantage  ? 

Besides  what  I  have  already  said,  I  shall 
add  some  few  remedies  for  the  cure  of  this 
murmuring  spirit. 

1st.  Look  on  your  murmurings  as  worse 
than  all  your  pains  and  troubles;  these  are 
but  afflictions  from  God,  but  those  are  sins, 
grevious  and  provoking  to  God. 

2d.  Remember  the  judgments  which 
murmuring  has  brought  down  from  heaven 
upon  sinners.  Miriam  was  smitten  with 
leprosy  for  it;  Dathan  and  Abiram  were 
swallowed  up  alive:  fiery  serpents,  plagues, 
and  exclusion  from  Canaan,  were  Israel's 
judgments  for  this  sin,  1  Cor.  x.  10,  "Nei- 
ther murmur  ye,  as  some  of  them  murmur- 
ed, and  were  destroyed  of  the  destroyer." 
The  arrows  which  murmurers  shoot  against 
heaven,  do  soon  return  upon  their  own 
heads. 

3d.  Whatever  your  sufierings  be  for  the 
present,  yet  still  believe  your  case  might  be 
worse.  The  troubles  that  light  upon  the 
body  are  not  so  terrible  as  those  that  light 
on  the  soul,  Pro  v.  xviii.  14,   "A  wounded 

G 


66  COMPANION  FOR 

spirit,  who  can  bear?"  They  are  nothing 
to  what  your  innocent  Saviour  suflfered 
upon  the  cross,  yea  nothing  to  what  some 
martyrs  have  endured  for  the  truths  of  the 
Gospel. 

4th.  Get  very  low  thoughts  of  yourself, 
and  a  very  deep  sense  of  ill-deservings  for 
sin.  0!  should  a  fire  brand  of  hell  mur- 
mur for  temporal  afflictions  ? 

5th.  Be  still  examining  thyself,  rather 
than  censuring  God.  Does  God  seem  to 
neglect  you  ?  say,  alas  it  is  most  just!  Have 
not  I  neglected  him,  and  given  a  deaf  ear  to 
his  calls  many  a  day  ? 

6th.  Bear  in  mind  that  these  troubles 
will  not  last,  there  is  a  great  change  near; 
either  they  will  issue  in  life  or  death.  If 
life,  you  will  be  ashamed  you  had  no  more 
patience  when  sick;  if  death,  then,  if  you 
belong  to  Christ  it  will  give  a  finishing 
stroke  to  all  troubles  and  complaints,  and 
heaven  will  make  amends  for  all.  But  if 
you  be  not  in  Christ,  whatever  your  afflic- 
tions be  now,  troubles  a  thousand  times 
worse  are  awaiting  you  in  another  world : 
death  will  turn  your  crosses  into  pure  un- 
mixed curses;  and  then,  how  gladly  would 
you  return  to  your  former  afflicted  state, 
and  purchase  it  at  any  rate,  were  there  any 
possibility  of  such  a  return.     You  now  fly 


THE  SICK.  67 

out  in  a  passion,  and  say,  you  are  not  able 
to  bear  what  you  complain  of:  but  consi- 
der, if  you  will  not  obediently  bear  God's 
rods  now,  you  will  then  bear  more,  whether 
you  will  or  not;  and  God  will  make  you 
able  to  bear  more,  when  there  will  never  be 
any  hopes  of  relief. 

7th.  Study  to  give  vent  to  your  sor- 
rows in  a  way  of  prayer  and  praise.  An 
oven  stopped,  is  the  more  hot  within;  but 
the  breath  of  prayer  or  praise  gives  ease.  If 
we  did  complain  more  to  God,  we  should 
complain  less  of  God.  What  a  mercy  is  it, 
that  you  have  still  God  to  go  to?  Improve 
the  privilege,  confess  unworthiness,  and  beg 
the  grace  of  patience  and  submission  out  of 
Christ's  full  treasures.  Be  also  praising 
God  for  mercies  received ;  and  however 
bad  your  case  is,  bless  God  it  is  not  in  hell, 
you  are  in  the  land  of  hope. 


68  COMPANION  roR 

CHAPTER  III. 

SECTION  I. 

Let  believers  especially  guard  against  fainting  or  des- 
ponding under  God's  afflicting  hand. 

For  preventing  and  helping  this  evil  of 
fainting  under  affliction,  let  believers  con- 
sider, 

1.  These  heavy  trials  are  all  needful  for 
you.  Deep  waters  are  not  more  needful  to 
carry  a  ship  into  the  haven,  than  great  af- 
flictions are,  to  carry  the  vessels  of  ou  rsouls 
into  the  port  of  bliss.  Strong  wind  and 
thunder  are  frightful,  but  they  are  necessary 
to  purge  the  air.  One  of  the  sharpest  ca- 
lamities that  ever  befell  Israel,  was  the  Baby- 
lonish captivity,  yet  even  this  was  in  mercy 
to  them;  for  the  Lord  saith,  Jer.  xxiv.  5, 
"  I  have  sent  them  out  of  this  place  into  the 
land  of  the  Chaldeans  for  their  good.'' 
Strange !  Of  freemen  to  be  made  prisoners, 
and  that  in  a  strange  land  among  the  hea- 
then; to  be  removed  far  from  their  own 
houses,  vineyards,  friends,  nay,  and  from 
the  temple  of  God  and  his  ordinances;  and 
yet  all  this  for  their  good!  why?  they  were 
hereby  effectually  weaned  and  broke  off 
from  their  darling  sin  of  idolatry. 

2.  Consider,  that  your  affliction,  however 


THE  SICK.  69 

heavy  it  be,  will  soon  have  an  end ;  Isa.  Ivii. 
16,  "For  I  will  not  contend  for  ever, 
neither  will  I  be  always  wroth;  for  the 
spirit  should  fail  before  me,  and  the  souls 
which  I  have  made/'  The  goldsmith  will 
not  let  his  gold  lie  any  longer  in  the  furnace 
than  it  is  purified.  The  wicked  have  a  sea 
of  wrath  to  drink;  but,  0  drooping  believer, 
take  comfort;  you  have  but  a  cup  of  afflic- 
tion, which  will  soon  be  exhausted.  The 
time  is  near  when  all  thy  trials  shall  have 
an  end:  in  heaven  there  is  no  cross,  no  com- 
plaint, no  tears  nor  sorrows  for  ever. 

3.  Faint  not,  0  child  of  God;  for  these 
afflictions  are  all  the  hell  which  thou  shalt 
have;  thou  hast  nothing  to  fear  hereafter. 
Judas  had  two  hells,  one  in  time,  by  terror 
in  his  conscience,  another  after  this  life, 
which  endures  to  eternity:  but  all  the  hell 
that  a  believer  has,  is  but  this  light  affliction, 
which  is  but  for  a  moment. 

4.  Desponding  or  murmuring  in  affliction 
is  evil  in  any,  but  in  none  is  it  so  bad  as  in 
the  children  of  God.  It  very  ill  becomes 
their  covenants,  their  privileges,  their  hopes. 
Have  they  resigned  and  given  up  them- 
selves and  all  they  have  to  God,  by  a  solemn 
covenant,  and  will  they  fret  when  he  dis- 
poses of  them  ?  Didst  thou  not  say,  0  be- 
liever, in  the  day  when  thy  heart  was  stung 

G  2 


70  COMPANION  FOR 

with  sin,  and  the  terrors  of  God  made  thee 
afraid,  0  let  me  have  Jesus  Christ  for  my 
Saviour  and  portion,  and  I  will  be  content, 
though  I  should  be  stricken  with  boils  Yi^e 
Job,  or  beg  my  bread  with  Lazarus?  Now, 
God  tries  you  if  you  will  stand  to  your 
word:  0  beware  of  retracting.  Has  not 
that  soul  enough,  who  has  an  all-sufficient 
God  for  his  portion  ?  If  God  be  yours  in 
covenant,  that  comprehends  all  things. 

5.  It  discomposes  and  unfits  the  soul  for 
any  duty.  It  is  ill  sailing  in  a  storm,  so  it 
is  ill  praying  when  the  heart  is  in  a  storm  of 
disquiet  and  despondency. 

6.  Your  fainting  under  affliction,  and 
your  drooping,  as  if  the  consolations  of  God 
were  small,  are  enough  to  cause  others  to 
stumble  at  religion,  and  make  them  call  the 
truth  of  it  in  question.  When  they  see 
those  that  profess  religion,  and  have  often 
declared  that  their  rejoicing  is  in  Christ 
Jesus  as  their  portion,  begin  to  sink  and 
despond  under  outward  affliction,  0  may 
they  not  be  tempted  to  say,  '^  Where  is  the 
truth  of  religion?  Where  are  those  divine 
supports  and  consolations  we  have  often 
heard  of?" 

Lastly;  0  then  seek  to  get  faith  revived, 
and  strengthened,  and  resolve  with  Job  to 
trust  in  God,  though  he  should  slay  you. 


THE  SICK.  71 

This  would  be  of  noble  use  to  keep  the 
heart  from  sinking  under  pressures  of  afflic- 
tion, as  the  Psalmist  found  it  to  his  sweet 
experience,  Psalm  xxvii.  13,  "I  had  fainted 
unless  I  had  believed  to  see  the  goodness  of 
the  Lord  in  the  land  of  the  living/' 

In  order  still  further  to  reconcile  you  to 
the  afflictive  dispensation  with  which  God 
has  been  pleased  to  visit  you,  consider  that 
all  afflictions,  of  what  kind  soever,  proceed 
from  God.  I  form  the  light,  and  create 
darkness;  I  make  peace,  and  create  evil:  I 
the  Lord  do  all  these  things.  Isaiah  xlv. 
7.  They  spring  not  from  the  dust;  are  not 
the  effects  of  a  random-chance,  but  the  ap- 
pointment of  an  all-wise,  all-foreseeing  God, 
who  intends  them  for  the  good  of  his  crea- 
tures. This,  I  think,  says  Hervey,  is  the 
fundamental  argument  for  resignation,  and 
the  grand  source  of  comfort.  This  should  be 
ourfirstreflection,and  our  sovereign  support. 
He  that  gave  me  my  being,  and  gave  his  own 
Son  for  my  redemption,  he  has  assigned  me 
this  suffering.  What  he  ordains  who  is 
boundless  love,  must  be  good:  what  he  or- 
dains who  is  unerring  wisdom,  must  be 
proper. 

This  reconciled  Eli  to  the  severest  doom 
that  ever  was  denounced.  It  is  the  Lord; 
and  though  grievous  to  human  nature,  much 


72  COMPANION  FOR 

more  grievous  to  parental  affection,  yet  it  is 
unquestionably  the  best;  therefore  I  hum- 
bly acquiesce,  I  kiss  the  awful  decree,  and 
say  from  my  very  soul,  "  Let  him  do  what 
seemeth  him  good."   1  Sam.  iii.  18. 

This  calmed  the  sorrows  of  Job,  under 
all  his  unparalleled  distresses.  The  Lord 
gave  me  affluence  and  prosperity;  the  Lord 
has  taken  all  away:  rapacious  hands  and 
warring  elements  were  only  his  instru- 
ments; therefore  I  submit,  I  adore,  I  bless 
his  holy  name. 

This  consolation  fortified  the  man  Christ 
Jesus,  at  the  approach  of  his  inconceivably 
bitter  agonies.  The  cup,  which,  not  my  im- 
placable enemies,  but  my  Father,  by  their 
administration,  has  given  me,  shall  I  not 
drink  it?  It  is  your  Father,  your  heavenly 
Father,  who  loves  you  with  an  everlasting 
love,  that  has  mingled  some  gall  with  your 
portion  in  life.  Sensible  of  the  beneficent 
hand,  from  which  the  visitation  comes,  may 
you  always  bow  your  head  in  patient  sub- 
mission; and  acknowledge  with  the  excel- 
lent but  afflicted  monarch  Hezekiah, "  Good 
is  the  word  of  the  Lord  concerning  me. "  2 
Kings  XX.  19. 

All  afflictions  are  designed  for  blessings; 
to  do  us  good  at  the  latter  end,  however 
they  may  cross  our  desires,  or  disquiet  our 


TLE  SICK.  73 

minds  at  present.  Happy  (says  the  Spirit 
of  inspiration,  and  not  wretched)  is  the  man 
whom  God  correcteth,  Job  v.  17.;  and 
for  this  reason,  because  his  merciful  chasten- 
ings,  though  not  joyous  but  grievous,  yield 
the  peaceable  fruit  of  righteousness  unto 
them  that  are  exercised  thereby.  Heb.  xii. 
11,  "God's  ways  are  not  as  our  ways." 
The  children  whom  we  love  we  are  apt  to 
treat  with  all  the  soft  blandishments,  and 
fond  caresses  of  profuse  indulgence;  and 
too,  too  often  it  is  to  their  hurt,  if  not  to 
their  ruin.  But  the  Father  of  spirits  is  wise 
in  his  love,  and  out  of  kindness  severe. 
Therefore  it  is  said,  "Whom  he  loveth  he 
chasteneth,  and  scourgeth  every  son  whom 
he  receiveth."  Heb.  xii.  6.  Would  you 
not  be  a  child  of  that  everlasting  Father, 
whose  favour  is  better  than  life  ?  Affliction 
is  one  sign  of  your  adoption  to  this  inesti- 
mable relation.  Would  you  not  be  an  "heir 
of  the  inheritance  incorruptible,  undefiled, 
and  that  fadeth  not  away  ?''  Affliction  is 
your  path  to  this  blissful  patrimony. 
Through  much  tribulation  we  must  enter 
into  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  Acts  xiv.  22. 
Would  you  not  be  made  like  your  ever- 
blessed  and  amiable  Redeemer  ?  He  was  a 
man  of  sorrows,  and  acquainted  with  grief  .♦* 


74  COMPANION  FOR 

and  every  disciple  must  expect  to  be  as  his 
master. 

Perhaps,  you  may  think  your  affliction 
peculiarly  calamitous;  and  that  if  it  had 
been  of  some  other  kind,  you  could  more 
cheerfully  submit,  more  easily  bear  it.  But 
you  are  in  the  hands  of  an  all-wise  Physi- 
cian, who  joins  to  the  bowels  of  infinite 
love,  the  discernment  of  infinite  wisdom. 
He  cannot  mistake  your  case.  He  sees  into 
remotest  events;  and  though  he  varies  his 
remedies,  always  prescribes  with  the  exact- 
est  propriety  to  every  one's  particular  state. 
Assure  yourself,  therefore,  the  visitation 
which  he  appoints,  is  the  very  properest 
recipe  in  the  dispensatory  of  heaven.  Any 
other  would  have  been  less  fit  to  convey 
saving  health  to  your  immortal  part,  and 
less  subservient  to  your  enjoyment  of  the 
temporal  blessings,  which  may,  perhaps,  be 
.yet  in  store  for  you. 

Should  you  inquire  what  benefits  accrue 
from  afflictions  ?  Many  and  precious.  They 
tend  to  wean  us  from  the  world.  When 
our  paths  are  strewed  with  roses,  when  no- 
thing but  music  and  odours  float  around, 
how  apt  are  we  to  be  enamoured  with  our 
present  condition,  and  forget  the  crown  of 
glory,  forget  Jesus  and  everla^ing  ages  ? 
But  affliction,  with  a  faithful  though  harsh 


THE  SICK.  75 

voice,  rouses  us  from  the  sweet  delusion. 
Affliction  warns  our  liearts  to  rise  and  de- 
part from  these  inferior  delights,  because 
here  is  not  our  rest.  True  and  lasting  joys 
are  not  here  to  be  found.  The  sweeping 
tempest,  and  the  beating  surge,  teach  the 
mariner  to  prize  the  haven,  where  undis- 
turbed repose  awaits  his  arrival.  In  like 
manner,  disappointments,  vexations,  anxie- 
ties, crosses,  teach  us  to  long  for  those  hap- 
py mansions,  where  all  tears  will  be  wiped 
away  from  the  eyes.  Rev.  xxi.  4;  all  an- 
guish banished  from  the  mind;  and  nothing, 
nothing  subsist,  but  the  fulness  of  joy,  and 
pleasures  for  evermore. 

Afflictions  tend  to  bring  us  to  Christ. 
Christ  has  unspeakable  and  everlasting  bless- 
ings to  bestow;  such  as  the  world  can  nei- 
ther give  nor  take  away;  such  as  are  suffi- 
cient to  pour  that  oil  of  gladness  into  our 
souls,  which  will  swim  above  the  waves  of 
any  earthly  tribulation.  But  are  we  not, 
dear  reader,  are  we  not  most  unhappily  in- 
dolent and  inattentive  to  these  blessings,  in 
the  gay  hours  of  an  uninterrupted  prospe- 
rity ?  It  is  very  observable,  that  scarce  any 
made  application  to  our  divine  Redeemer, 
in  the  days  of  his  abode  with  us,  but  the 
children  of  affliction.  The  same  spirit  of 
supineness   still   possesses   mankind.     We 


76  COMPANION  FOR 

undervalue,  we  disregard  the  Lord  Jesus, 
and  the  unspeakable  privileges  of  his  Gospel, 
while  all  proceeds  smoothly,  and  nothing 
occurs  to  discompose  the  tenor  of  our  tran- 
quillity. But  when  misfortunes  harrass  our 
circumstances,  or  sorrows  oppress  our  minds, 
then  we  are  willing,  we  are  glad,  we  are 
earnest,  to  find  rest  in  Christ. 

In  Christ  Jesus  there  is  pardon  of  sins. 
Sin  is  a  burthen  incomparably  sorer  than 
any  other  distress.  Sin  would  sink  us  into 
the  depths  of  eternal  ruin,  and  transfix  us 
with  the  agonies  of  endless  despair:  But 
Christ  has,  at  the  price  of  his  very  life,  pur- 
chased pardon  for  all  that  fly  to  him.  He 
has  borne  the  guilt  of  their  sins  "  in  his  own 
body  on  the  tree,'^  1  Pet.  ii.  24.  Have  they 
deserved  condemnation  ?  He  has  sustained 
it  in  their  stead.  Are  they  obnoxious  to  the 
wrath  of  God  ?  He  has  endured  it  as  their 
substitute;  he  has  made  satisfaction,  com- 
plete satisfaction  for  all  their  iniquities, 
Rom.  iii.  25,  26.  So  that  justice  itself,  the 
most  rigorous  justice,  can  demand  no  more. 
Oh!  that  distress  may  prompt  us  to  prize 
this  mercy!  may  incite  us  to  desire  ardently 
this  blessedness  !  then  it  will  "  be  good  for 
to  have  been  afflicted."  Psal.  cxix.  71. 

Christ  has  obtained  for  us  the  gift  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,    Gal.  iii.  2,    to    sanctify   our 


THE  SICK.  77 

hearts,  and  renew  our  natures.  An  unre- 
newed, carnal  mind,  is  ten  thousand  times 
more  to  be  lamented,  more  to  be  dreaded, 
than  any  external  calamities.  And  nothing 
can  cure  us  of  this  most  deadly  disease,  but 
the  sanctification  of  the  Spirit.  This  divine 
Spirit  alone  is  able  to  put  the  fear  of  God  in 
our  souls,  and  awaken  the  love  of  God  in 
our  hearts,  Jer.  xxxii.  40.  His  influences 
suggest  such  awful  and  amiable  thoughts  to 
our  minds,  as  will  be  productive  of  these 
christian  graces.  This  sacred  principle  sub- 
dues our  corruptions,  and  conforms  us  to  our 
blessed  Redeemer's  image.  How  is  this 
best  gift  of  heaven  disesteemed  by  the  dar- 
lings of  the  world,  who  have  nothing  to  vex 
them  ?  But  how  precious  is  it,  how  desira- 
ble, to  the  heirs  of  sorrow  ?  They  breathe 
after  it,  as  the  thirsty  hart  panteth  for  the 
water-brooks.  They  cannot  be  satisfied 
without  its  enlightening,  purifying,  cheer- 
ing communications.  This  is  all  their  re- 
quest, and  all  their  relief,  ^Uhat  the  Spirit 
of  Christ  may  dwell  in  their  hearts,  Rom. 
viii.  9;  may  enable  them  to  possess  their 
souls  in  in  patience,  Luke  xxi.  19,  and 
derive  never-ending  good  from  momentary 
evils.  If  any  be  afflicted,  let  him  pray. 
Dear  sufierer,fly  toGod  in  all  your  adversity, 
pour  out  your  complaints   before   him  in 

H 


78  COMPANION  FOR 

humble  supplication,  and  show  him  your 
trouble.  Psal.  cxlii.  2.  When  I  am  in  hea- 
viness, says  a  holy  sufferer,  I  will  think  up- 
on God,Psal.  lxi.2;  his  omnipotent  power, 
his  unbounded  goodness,  whose  ear  is  ever 
open  to  receive  the  cry  of  the  afflicted. 
When  the  Psalmist  was  distressed  on  every 
side,  without  were  fightings,  wjthin  were 
fears,  the  throne  of  grace  was  the  place  of 
his  refuge;  I  give  myself  to  prayer,  Psal. 
cix.  3,  was  his  declaration.  This  method, 
we  read,  Hannah  took,  and  you  cannot  but 
remember  the  happy  issue,  1  Sam.  i.  10. 
Let  me  entreat  you  to  imitate  these  excel- 
lent examples;  frequently  bend  your  knees, 
and  more  frequently  lift  up  your  heart,  to 
the  Father  of  mercies,  and  God  of  all  con- 
solation; not  doubting,  but  that  through 
the  merits  of  his  dear  Son,  through  the  inter- 
cession of  your  compassionate  High  Priest, 
he  will  hear  your  petitions,  will  compas- 
sionate you  under  all  your  tribulations,  and 
make  them  all  work  together  for  your  in- 
finite and  eternal  good. 


THE  SICK.  79 

SECTION  11. 

Believers  Jiavc  great  reason  to  praise  and   bless  God 
even  in  the  midst  of  their  sickness. 

We  sliould  in  every  thing  give  thanks. 
1  Thess.  V.  11.  Job  blessed  God.  when  he 
had  taken  away  his  greatest  comforts.  Job 
i.  21.  David,  when  speaking  of  his  afflic- 
tions, says  to  God,  "Thou  art  good  and  dost 
good.^^  So  Paul  and  Silas  prayed  when 
they  were  scourged  and  imprisoned. 

1.  The  believer  has  reason  to  praise  God, 
for  the  mercies  of  his  past  life. 

2.  You  should  praise  God  that  in  your 
greatest  trouble  you  have  a  High  Priest  to 
sympathize  with  you,  and  provide  man- 
sions for  your  reception  above. 

3.  Praise  God  that  he  has  sent  such  suit- 
able harbingers  as  sickness  and  trouble,  to 
warn  you  of  the  approach  of  death.  He 
might  have  called  you  away  suddenly  with- 
out any  such  warning.  God  in  mercy  thus 
gradually  prepares  the  mind  of  the  believer, 
for  his  eventful  and  happy  change. 

4.  It  is  a  matter  of  praise  to  God,  that 
your  troubles  and  afflictions  are  proportion- 
ed to  your  strength.  "He  knoweth  our 
frame."  And  as  a  "father  pitieth  his  child, 
60  the  Lord  pitieth  them  that  fear  him." 
You  are  not  and  shall  not  be  tempted  above 


80  COMPANION  FOR 

what  you  are  able  to  bear;  a  way  of  escape 
shall  be  made. 

Though  your  pains  and  sorrows  be  se- 
vere, yet  God's  grace  is  sufficient  for  you. 
As  your  days,  so  shall  your  strength  be. 
Christ  is  your  righteousness  and  strength. 
With  Christ  strengthening  you,  you  suffer 
as  well  as  do  all  things. 

5.  You  have  great  reason  to  praise  God 
that  his  strokes  are  so  much  lighter  than  you 
deserve;   that  your  sick  bed,  is  not  hell;, 
that  your  fever  is  not  everlasting  burnings; 
and  that  your  pains  are  not  eternal  torments. 

Instead  of  afflicting  you  for  a  few  days, 
weeks,  months,  or  years,  he  might  have 
made  your  whole  life,  from  the  cradle  to 
the  grave,  one  uninterrupted  scene  of  misery 
and  affliction. 

6.  You  should  praise  God  that  he  has 
dealt  out  affliction  to  you  with  a  more  spa- 
ring hand,  than  he  has  to  thousands  of 
others,  who  were  no  worse  by  nature,  and 
perhaps  far  better  in  their  walk  and  con- 
versation. Your  sufferings  cannot  com- 
pare with  Christ's,  nor  can  they  compare 
with  those  of  many  servants  of  God,  whose 
history  is  on  sacred  record. 

7.  Praise  God  for  the  promises  he  has  left 
on  record  for  your  encouragement  and  sup- 
port under  his  chastening  hand,  and  for 
the  many  assurances  he  has  given  that  he 


THE  SICK.  81 

is  dealing  with  you  in  love.  "Now  no 
chastening  for  the  present  seemcth  to  be 
joyous  but  grievous:  nevertheless,  after- 
ward it  yieldeth  the  peaceable  fruits  of  right- 
eousness unto  them  which  are  exercised 
thereby.  Wherefore  lift  up  the  hands  which 
hang  down,  and  the  feeble  knees."  Heb. 
xii.  11,  12.  Therefore  "my  son  despise 
not  thou  the  chastening  of  the  Lord,  nor 
faint  when  thou  art  rebuked  of  Him.  For 
whom  the  Lord  loveth  he  chasteneth,  and 
scourgeth  every  son  whom  he  receiveth." 
Remember  that  "all  things  work  together 
for  good  to  them  that  love  God:"  and  that 
"these  light  afflictions  which  are  but  for  a 
moment,  work  out  for  them  a  far  more  ex- 
ceeding and  eternal  weight  of  glory." 
Hence  David  said,  "It  was  good  for  me  to 
be  afflicted:  for  before  I  was  afflicted  I  went 
astray,  but  now  I  have  learned  to  keep  thy 
word."     Ps.  cxix.  67. 


SECTION  III. 

Let  the  children  of  God,  when  visited  with  sickness,  set 
about  actual  preparation  for  death  and  eternity. 

Preparation  for  death  may  be  said  to  be 
of  two  kinds,  habitual  and  actual.     Habi- 
tual preparation  is  that  state  in  which  sav- 
ing faith  places  us.     Actual  preparation  is 
H  2 


82  COMPANION  FOR 

that  state  of  mind,  which  consists  in  a  sense 
of  pardon  and  reconciliation,  and  a  readi- 
ness to  depart,  esteeming  it  far  better  to  be 
with  Christ.  All  believers  are  in  the  state 
of  habitual  preparation ;  they  are  so  by  their 
union  by  faith  to  Jesus  Christ,  and  by  their 
sanctification  through  the  influences  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.  A  sweet  sense  of  forgiveness, 
and  an  enlightened  willingness  to  die,  are 
greatly  desirable  on  a  death-bed.  But  be- 
ware of  the  idea  that  this  species  of  prepa- 
ration should  be  delayed  till  death.  The 
season  of  health  is  the  most  proper  and  best 
adapted  to  such  a  work.  To  guide  you  in 
making  this  actual  preparation,  observe  the 
following  directions: 

1.  Seeing  that  sickness  is  appointed  of 
God  for  his  people's  good,  and  particularly 
for  fitting  them  for  a  better  world;  labour 
earnestly  to  reap  the  benefit  of  sickness, 
seek  God's  blessing  upon  it,  that  thereby 
you  may  be  helped  to  discover  more  of  the 
evil  of  sin,  that  you  may  hate  and  abhor  it 
the  more,  and  that  you  may  see  more  efiec- 
tually  the  vanity  and  vexation  of  the  world, 
and  get  your  heart  loosed  from  all  the  things 
of  time,  and  brought  to  a  willingness  to  de- 
part, that  you  may  be  with  Christ. 

2.  Seeing  the  time  of  sickness  and  death 
is  the  time  of  your  greatest  need,  beg  ear- 
nestly of  God,  for  your  Redeemer's  sake, 


THE  SICK.  83 

such  special  assistance,  influences  and  ope- 
rations of  his  Holy  Spirit,  as  he  knows 
needful  for  you  in  your  present  low  and 
weak  condition,  in  order  to  carry  on  and 
complete  your  actual  readiness  for  meeting 
with  himself  at  death,  and  entering  into  the 
invisible  world,  and  being  fixed  unalterably 
in  your  everlasting  state. 

3.  Renew  the  exercise  of  repentance, 
and  of  faith  in  the  blood  of  Christ,  for  re- 
moving all  grounds  of  quarrel  and  contro- 
versy between  God  and  your  soul.  And  in 
order  to  this,  review  your  past  life,  and  look 
into  your  heart  also,  and  search  out  every 
predominant  sin  and  idol  of  jealousy;  for  if 
there  be  any  iniquity  regarded  in  your 
heart,  and  unrepented  of  by  you,  it  may 
occasion  no  little  anguish  and  bitterness  of 
spirit  in  a  dying  hour.  Well,  when  you 
have  discovered  sin,  humbly  confess  and 
bewail  it  before  the  Lord,  and  ask  forgive- 
ness for  it,  through  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ 
the  Son  of  God,  which  cleanseth  from  all 
sin.  Yea,  make  confession  of  all  your  sins, 
and  particularly  reflect  upon  the  fountain 
and  spring  of  them,  viz.  your  original  sin. 
Know  the  plague  of  your  own  heart,  and 
mourn  over  it,  mourn  for  the  loss  and  mis- 
spending of  much  precious  time.  Mourn 
for  the  unprofitableness  of  your  life.  Now, 
when  the  axe  is  laid  to  the  root  of  the  tree 


84  COMPANION  FOR 

by  sicknesSj  it  is  high  time  to  mourn  for 
your  unfruitfuhiess  under  the  means  of  grace, 
and  waterings  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Mourn 
for  your  sinning  against  such  light  and  love 
as  have  been  many  days  displayed  to  you 
in  the  glorious  Gospel.  And  in  a  special 
manner,  mourn  for  your  sins  of  omission, 
M^hich  commonly  are  but  little  minded  by 
us.  Thus  mourn  for  all  your  sins,  till  you 
water  your  couch  with  tears.  It  is  most 
suitable  that  death  should  find  every  man, 
even  every  child  of  God,  in  the  exercise  of 
mourning  and  repentance:  for  they  that  thus 
sow  in  tears,  shall  eternally  reap  in  joy. 
But  see  that  your  tears  run  much  from  the 
Gospel  channel,  and  flow  from  the  believing 
views  of  a  crucified  Christ,  whom  you  have 
pierced  by  your  sins.  And  in  the  midst  of 
your  mourning,  be  still  aiming  to  take  faith's 
hold  of  the  clefts  of  this  rock,  for  sheltering 
your  soul  from  the  guilt  of  past  sins;  say, 
"Lord  Jesus,  I  have  no  refuge  but  thy 
w^ounds,  no  fountain  but  thy  blood,  no  co- 
vert but  thy  righteousness.  And  seeing 
thou  freely  makest  ofier  of  thy  merits  for 
my  protection,  and  invitest  even  the  chief 
of  sinnors  to  come  unto  thee,  saying.  Look 
unto  m.e,  and  be  ye  saved.  Lord,  I  em- 
brace the  offer,  and  flee  to  thee  to  cover 
me."  0  believer  do  this,  not  once  or  twice, 


THE  SICK.  85 

but  do  it  a  hundred  times  over;  do  it  as  long 
as  thou  hast  breath.  Be  still  breathing  to 
the  very  last,  after  a  crucified  Jesus  for  re- 
lief against  the  guilt  of  sin,  which  thou  art 
always  contracting,  and  wilt  be,  till  the 
earthly  house  of  this  tabernacle  be  dissolved. 
4.  In  order  to  your  actual  readiness  to 
go  forth  to  meet  the  bridegroom,  when 
coming  to  you  by  death,  you  must  do  as  the 
wise  virgins,  Matth.  xxv.  7,  "Arise  and 
trim  your  lamps.'^  As  it  is  not  enough  to 
have  a  fair  lamp  of  a  profession,  so  it  is  not 
sufficient  to  have  only  the  oil  of  grace  in  the 
lamp;  nay,  to  have  it  burning  in  some  de- 
gree. It  is  requisite  at  this  time,  that  the 
soul  be  actually  ready;  the  lamp  must  be 
trimmed,  which  imports,  1st.  A  supply- 
ing it  with  more  oil;  you  must  seek  to  have 
your  grace  increased,  to  have  new  degrees, 
new  strength,  and  new  supplies  of  grace 
given  you  from  God,  to  fit  you  for  the  last 
conflict  with  your  spiritual  enemies,  and 
especially  the  last  enemy,  death.  2d.  It 
imports  a  stirring  up  of  the  oil,  and  raising 
the  wick  higher:  So  there  must  be  an  exci- 
tation of  grace,  which  may  be  in  a  low  de- 
clining condition:  you  must  endeavour  to 
stir  and  raise  it  up  to  a  more  lively  exer- 
cise, and  more  elevated  acts.  Stir  up  the 
gift  that  is  in  thee:  make  the  oil  burn  clear 


86  COMPANION  FOR 

and  shine  bright.  Bring  faith,  love,  repent- 
ance and  holy  desires,  to  a  lively  exercise. 
3d.  This  trimming  imports  the  cleansing  of 
the  lamp,  hy  taking  away  the  dead  ashes 
that  hinder  the  light,  or  prevent  its  hurning 
so  clearly  as  it  otherwise  would.  So  you 
must  labour  to  take  away  the  dead  ashes  of 
corruption,  that  hinder  the  shining  of  grace: 
remove  all  unbelief,  earthliness,  deadness, 
self,  and  formality,  and  whatever  else  sup- 
presses the  exercise  of  faith,  love,  and  hea- 
venly-mindedness:  let  ail  these  dead  ashes 
be  snuffed  away  by  repentance  and  mortifi- 
cation. As  you  ought  to  strive  earnestly 
against  all  these  heart  evils  in  time  of 
health,  so  now  labour  to  give  them  a  death 
stroke  when  death's  harbinger  gives  you  a 
summons. 

5.  Be  diligent  in  gathering  and  sum- 
ming up  all  your  evidences  for  heaven  and 
eternal  life,  that  so  you  may  not  venture 
into  the  dark  valley  at  an  uncertainty. 
The  comfort  of  dying  will  much  depend  on 
the  clearness  of  your  evidences;  it  is  there- 
fore your  wisdom  to  examine  them  carefully, 
and  see  if  you  can  say,  "  I  know  in  whom  I 
have  believed ;  I  have  consented  with  my 
soul  to  the  method  of  salvation  laid  down  in 
the  covenant  of  grace.  I  am  desirous  that  the 
glory  of  it  should  be  eternally  ascribed  to  the 


THE  SICK.  87 

free  grace  of  God,  and  the  creature  be  wholly 
abased  in  his  sight.  I  have  chosen  God 
for  my  portion,  and  Christ  for  my  only  Sa- 
viour; and  the  happiness  which  I  aim  at,  is 
to  enjoy  God  in  Christ  forever.  And  in 
order  thereto,  I  depend  on  the  Holy  Spirit 
to  apply  the  redemption  which  Christ  has 
purchased,  to  me,  and  to  sanctify  me  perfect- 
ly. There  is  no  sin  but  what  I  hate  and 
desire  to  part  with.  I  would  rather  have 
more  holiness,  than  to  have  health  and  all 
the  pleasures  in  the  world.  I  earnestly  de- 
sire the  flourishing  of  Christ's  kingdom,  and 
prefer  Jerusalem  to  my  chiefest  joy.''  If 
your  evidence  be  clear,  you  may  cheerfully 
take  death  by  the  cold  hand,  and  welcome 
its  grim  messengers,  and  long  to  be  gone  that 
you  may  be  with  Christ.  You  may  say  as 
Psalm  xxiii.  4,  "  When  I  walk  through  the 
valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  I  will  fear 
no  evil,  for  thou  art  with  me."  You  may  go 
off  the  stage  with  the  Psalmist's  words  in 
your  mouth.  Psalm  xxxi.  5,  "Into  thine 
hand  I  commit  my  spirit,  for  thou  hast  re- 
deemed me,  0  Lord  God  of  truth." 

6.  Labour  earnestly  to  overcome  the 
love  of  life  and  fears  of  death,  so  as  to  be 
content  to  part  with  all  things  here  at  God's 
call.  0  believer,  what  is  there  in  this 
earth  to  tempt  thee  to  hang  back,  when  God 


88  COMPANION  FOR 

calls  you  to  depart !  while  you  are  here, 
you  may  lay  your  account  with  many  losses, 
crosses,  disappointments,  griefs,  and  calami- 
ties of  all  sorts.  Friends  will  fail  you,  ene- 
mies will  hate  you,  lusts  will  molest  you, 
Satan  will  tempt  you,  and  the  world  will 
deceive  you.  Death  is  the  way  that  the 
dearest  of  God's  saints,  and  all  the  cloud  of 
witnesses  have  gone  before  you;  yea,  the 
Lord  Jesus,  your  head,  hath  trod  this  path, 
and  hath  taken  the  sting  out  of  death,  and 
hath  paved  a  way  through  its  dark  valley 
that  his  people  may  safely  follow  him. 
Has  the  captain  of  your  salvation  gone  be- 
fore you,  and  will  any  of  his  soldiers  shrink 
to  follow  him?  Are  you  content  to  remain 
always  at  the  same  distance  from  him,  and 
to  enjoy  no  more  of  his  presence  than  now 
you  have  ?  are  you  satisfied  to  live  for  ever 
with  no  more  knowledge  of  God,  no  more 
love  to  Christ,  no  more  holiness  or  heavenly- 
mindedness  than  at  present  you  have  ?  Do 
you  not  groan  under  your  remaining  igno- 
rance, deadness,  wanderings,  pride,  passion, 
unbelief,  selfishness,  worldliness  and  other 
sins  and  lusts  that  here  beset  you  ?  And  are 
you  not  desirous  to  go  to  the  place  where 
you  will  be  eternally  free  of  them,  all,  and 
where  you  shall  never  complain  of  a  dull, 
dead,  and  senseless  frame  of  heart,  or  of  any 


THE  SICK.  8^ 

heart-weariness  or  wandering  in  duty  any 
more  ?  For  the  heart  shall  then  be  as  a  fixed 
pillar  in  the  temple  of  God,  and  shall  go  no 
more  out:  the  eternal  adoration  and  praises 
of  God  shall  be  the  soul's  delight  and  element 
forever.  By  such  considerations  strive  to 
conquer  the  fears  of  death  and  desires  of 
life,  which  are  often  great  clogs  to  the  peo- 
ple of  God  in  their  preparations  for  dying. 
7.  Be  often  meditating  upon  the  hea- 
venly glory  which  shortly  all  believers 
will  see  and  enjoy.  Be  much  in  the  con- 
templation of  the  glorious  company  above; 
behold  Christ  upon  his  glorious  throne,  at 
the  right  hand  of  God;  and  Abraham,  David, 
Peter,  Paul,  and  all  the  rest  of  the  faithful 
ones,  with  their  crowns  of  righteousness, 
triumphing  in  their  Redeemer.  Think,  0 
believer,  how  happy  will  that  day  be,  when 
thou  shalt  meet  with  thy  father,  and  breth- 
ren, and  thou  shalt  see  thy  elder  brother  on 
the  throne  ready  to  pass  sentence  in  thy  fa- 
vour. With  what  sweetness  will  that  sen- 
tence sound  in  thine  ears,  Come  ye  blessed 
of  my  Father^  <§'C.  What  frame  wilt  thou 
be  in,  when  he  sets  the  crown  of  glory  on 
thy  head  ?  0  eternally  free  love  !  wilt  thou 
cry,  "  0  vSaviour  thou  didst  wear  a  crown 
of  thorns,  that  I  might  wear  a  crown  of 
glory;  thou  didst  groan  on  the  cross,  that  I 
I 


90  COMPANION  FOR 

might  now  sing.  Wonderful  free  love,  that 
chose  me,  when  thousands  were  passed  by; 
that  saved  me  from  ruin,  when  my  compan- 
ions in  sin  must  burn  in  hell  for  ever.'' 
Think  how  ravishing  it  will  be  to  meet  with 
your  godly  acquaintances  in  heaven,  with 
whom  you  prayed,  praised,  and  conversed 
here !  Will  you  not  then  cry  out,  "  0 
my  brethren,  what  a  change  is  here !  this 
glorious  place  is  not  like  the  poor  dwellings 
we  had  on  earth;  this  body,  this  soul,  this 
state,  this  place,  our  clothes,  our  company, 
our  language,  our  thoughts,  are  far  unlike 
those  we  had  then !  The  bad  hearts,  the 
body  of  death,  the  corruptions  and  tempta- 
tions we  then  complained  of,  are  all  now 
gone.  We  have  no  more  fears  of  death  or 
hell,  no  more  use  for  repentance  or  prayer, 
faith  or  hope;  these  are  now  swallowed  up  in 
immediate  vision,  eternal  love,  joy  and 
praise." 

8.  It  would  be  also  very  suitable  at  this 
time,  in  order  to  your  actual  readiness  for 
death,  to  be  frequently  looking  out  and  long- 
ing for  Christ's  coming.  As  Abraham  stood 
in  his  tent  door,  ready  to  go  forth  to  meet 
the  angels  that  were  sent  unto  him,  so  should 
the  believer  keep  himself  in  a  waiting  pos- 
ture at  this  time.  He  should  be  like  the 
loving  wife,  that  longs  and  looks  for  the 


THE    SICK.  91 

-coming  of  her  absent  husband,  according  to 
his  letters  to  her.  By  this  time  (thinks  she) 
he  will  be  at  such  a  place,  and  against  such 
a  time  he  will  be  at  another  place,  and  so  in 
a  few  days  I  will  see  him.  It  is  the  charac- 
ter of  believers,  they  are  such  as  love  his  ap- 
pearing, 2  Tim.  iv.  8.  They  desire  his 
coming.  Cant.  viii.  14,  "Make  haste,  my 
beloved :  even  so  come  Lord  Jesus,  come 
quickly."  Believers  should  look  upon 
themselves  as  pilgrims  here,  wandering  in  a 
wilderness,  absent  from  home,  and  at  a  dis- 
tance from  their  father's  house;  and  in  time 
of  affliction,  it  is  very  proper  for  them  to  be 
crying  as  David  does,  Psal.  Iv.  6,  "  Othat  I 
had  wings  like  a  dove?  for  then  would  I  fly 
away,  and  be  at  rest;  I  would  hasten  my 
escape  from  the  windy  storm  and  tempest." 
*'0  when  shall  the  time  of  my  pilgrimage, 
and  the  days  of  my  banishment  be  finished, 
that  I  may  get  home  to  my  country  and 
friends  above  !  Oh!  my  Lord  is  gone,  my 
Saviour  hath  left  the  earth,  and  entered  into 
his  glory!  my  friends  and  brethren  are 
gone  to  their  blessed  rest,  where  they  see 
God's  face,  and  sing  his  praise  for  ever: 
and  how  can  I  be  willing  to  stay  behind 
when  they  are  gone?  Must  I  be  sinning 
here,  when  they  are  serving  God  above? 
Must  I  be  groaning  and  sighing,  when  they 


92  COMPANION  FOR 

are  triumphing  and  dividing  the  spoil? 
Surely  I  will  look  after  them,  and  cry,  0 
Lord  how  long  ?  when  shall  I  be  with  my 
Saviour  and  my  God  ?" 


SECTION  IV. 

Let  believers  in  time  of  sickness  endeavour  all  they  can, 
to  glorify  God,  and  edify  those  that  are  about  them, 
by  their  speech  and  behaviour. 

If  ever  a  child  of  God  be  active  to  pro- 
mote the  honour  and  glory  of  God,  it  should 
be  in  time  of  sickness,  and  when  death 
may  be  approaching.  And  there  is  good 
reason  for  it;  for  1st,  This  may  be  the  last 
opportunity  that  ever  you  shall  have  to  do 
any  thing  for  God,  and  therefore  you  should 
study  to  improve  it  to  the  utmost.  Hea- 
ven, to  which  you  are  going,  is  the  place 
where  you  shall  receive  your  reward ;  but 
you  can  have  no  access  there  to  advance 
God's  glory,  by  commending  God  and 
Christ  and  religion  to  sinners,  or  weak  be- 
lievers. Upon  this  account  many  of  God's 
children  have  been  content  to  suspend  their 
heavenly  happiness  for  a  while,  and  to  stay 
upon  the  earth  for  some  longer  time.  I 
have  read  of  a  certain  martyr,  when  going 
to  suffer,  who  expressed  some  sorrow  that 


THE  SICK.  93 

he  was  going  thither,  where  he  should  do 
his  God  no  more  service,  to  wit,  in  the 
sense  above  explained.  And  of  another, 
that  said,  "if  it  were  possible  that  there 
could  be  a  place  of  any  grief  in  heaven,  it 
would  arise  from  the  Christian's  consider- 
ing, that  he  did  so  little  for  God  while  he 
was  upon  earth." 

2.  The  holy  speech  and  conduct  of  dying 
believers  may,  through  the  blessing  of  God, 
make  deep  impression  upon  the  hearts  of 
unregenerate  men  that  are  witnesses  to 
them.  Those  who  have  derided  the  people 
of  God  for  the  strictness  of  their  lives,  and 
despised  their  counsels  and  reproofs,  as 
proceeding  from  humour  or  preciseness, 
yet  having  begun  to  notice  their  words  and 
actions,  when  they  have  seen  them  on  sick- 
beds, and  on  the  borders  of  eternity,  have 
other  thouo;hts  of  relis-ion  and  holiness  than 
formerly  they  had.  Now  they  think  the 
man  is  in  good  earnest,  and  speaks  the 
thoughts  of  his  heart:  and  if  ever  he  can 
be  believed,  it  must  be  now.  It  is  most 
convincing  to  carnal  persons,  to  see  believ- 
ers bearing  up  with  patience  in  their  sick- 
ness, to  hear  them  speaking  good  of  God, 
commending  his  ways,  and  rejoicing  in 
God  as  their  portion,  in  the  midst  of  their 
sharpest   pains:   to  see  them  behaving   as 


94  COMPANION  FOR 

those  that  are  going  to  dwell  with  Christ, 
smiling  and  praising  God,  when  friends  are 
sighing  and  weeping  about  them.  This  in- 
clines them-  to  think,  surely  there  must  be  a 
reality  in  religion,  between  the  death  of 
the  righteous  and  of  the  wicked.  Hence  a 
wicked  Balaam  wished  to  die  the  death  of 
the  righteous,  and  to  have  his  last  end  like 
his.  It  left  a  conviction  upon  that  young 
man's  conscience,  who  said  to  his  loose 
companion,  after  they  had  visited  godly 
Ambrose  on  his  death  bed,  and  saw  how 
cheerful  he  was,  and  triumphing  over  ap- 
proaching death.  "Oh  that  I  might  live 
with  thee,  and  die  with  Ambrose!"  Nay, 
such  sights  might  draw  them  not  only  to 
desire  to  die  the  death  of  the  righteous,  but 
also  to  resolve  to  live  their  lives.  If  car- 
nal men  saw  believers  going  off  the  stage 
with  such  confidence  and  joy,  as  becomes 
those  that  are  entering  into  eternal  rest 
with  Christ,  and  those  that  are  going  out  of 
a  howling  wilderness  to  a  glorious  Canaan ; 
it  might  be  a  powerful  invitation  to  them  to 
go  and  seek  after  the  same  felicity. 

3.  This  likewise  would  be  very  edifying 
and  confirming  to  all  that  fear  God.  How 
much  would  it  contribute  to  establish  them 
in  the  practice  of  holiness,  and  to  quicken 
them  in  their  diligence  in  serving  and  glo- 


THE  SICK.  95 

rifying  God  in  the  days  of  their  health,  to 
hear  a  dying  believer  say,  "Of  all  the  time 
which  I  have  ever  lived,  I  have  no  comfort 
now  in  reflecting  upon  one  hour,  but  what 
I  spent  in  the  service  of  God.  Where  I  to 
begin  my  life,  I  would  redeem  time  more 
carefully  than  ever.  One  hour  in  commu- 
nion with  God  is  far  sweeter  than  many 
years  spent  in  worldly  pleasures.  Come 
here,  then,  all  ye  that  fear  God,  and  I  will 
tell  you  what  he  hath  done  for  my  soul. 
O  taste  and  see  that  God  is  good.'' 

1st.  You  do  this  work  by  your  patience 
under  pain,  and  submission  to  God's  will, 
with  respect  to  the  event,  whether  life  or 
death.  It  is  stumbling  to  others,  to  see  be- 
lievers fretful  in  trouble,  and  unwilling  to 
leave  the  world,  when  God  calls  them. 
But  it  is  most  convincing  and  confirming 
to  see  them  freely  resigning  themselves  to 
God's  disposal,  saying,  "Let  God  himself 
choose  for  me:  he  is  wise,  and  knoweth 
best  what  is  needful  and  most  proper  for 
me;  I  have  no  will  but  God's  will."  For 
any  man  to  desire  to  live  when  God  calls 
him  to  die,  or  to  desire  to  die  when  God 
calls  him  to  live,  is  equally  a  sin  of  cow- 
ardice: for  he  that  desires  to  live,  is  afraid 
to  look  death  in  the  face;  and  he  that  de- 
sires to  die,  would  flee  from*some  calamity, 


96  COMPANION  FOR 

and  take  shelter  in  death.  But  he  is  the 
most  valiant  man  that  can  die  willingly 
when  God  would  have  him  die,  and  live  as 
willingly  when  God  would  have  him  live; 
this  is  true  Christian  valour. 

2d.  By  pious  exhortations  and  warnings 
to  those  that  are  about  you.  It  may  be  the 
last  occasion  you  may  have  of  glorifying 
God  this  way:  0  do  not  loose  the  season 
which  may  be  usefully  improved  for  the 
good  of  souls.  For  thus  a  believer  may 
bring  more  honour  to  God,  and  more  ad- 
vantage to  precious  souls  by  his  sickness 
and  death,  than  ever  he  did  by  all  his  health 
and  life  in  the  world;  for  their  speeches 
have  more  weight  with  people  at  such  a 
time  than  at  any  other.  Hence  the  patri- 
archs, knowing  the  prevalency  of  such 
words,  do  urge  Joseph  with  Jacob's  dying 
charge,  Gen.  i.  16,  17,  "And  they  sent  a 
messenger  unto  Joseph  saying,  Thy  father 
did  command  before  he  died  saying,  so  shall 
ye  say  unto  Joseph,  Forgive,  I  pray  thee 
now,  the  trespass  of  thy  brethren,''  &c. 
And  as  we  ought  to  be  ready  to  give  good 
counsel  to  all  when  we  lie  on  sick  beds,  so 
especially  we  should  be  concerned  for  chil- 
dren and  near  relations:  they  are  more  af- 
fected than  others  with  our  sickness,  and  so 
they  will  be  with  our  sayings;  our  admoni- 


THE  SICK.  97 

tions   may  do   them   good,  when  we   are 
mouldering  in  the  dust. 


SECTION  V. 

Let  the  children  of  God  labour  to  fortify  themselves 
against  all  Satan's  temptations  and  assaults,  which 
they  may  expect  to  meet  with  in  time  of  sickness  and 
affliction. 

A  time  of  affliction  is  commonly  a  time 
of  temptation:  for  the  old  serpent  knows 
the  fittest  seasons  for  assaulting  the  children 
of  God ;  and  he  will  not  be  wanting  to  im- 
prove this  opportunity  to  advantage.  When 
Pharaoh  heard  that  the  people  were  entan- 
gled in  the  wilderness,  he  pursued  them:  so 
when  Satan  sees  a  soul  entangled  with  dis- 
tresses and  troubles,  he  thinks  it  the  time  to 
make  an  attack.  He  seeks  to  winnow  and 
sift  away  the  believer's  grace,  and  therefore 
he  comes  when  the  corn  is  being  threshed 
by  the  rod.  When  Job  was  smitten  in  his 
estate,  health,  and  all  other  comforts,  then 
this  coward  falls  upon  him,  and  tempts  him 
to  impatience,  murmuring,  and  wrong 
thoughts  of  God. 

At  this  time,  0  believer,  you  have  spe- 
cial need  to  be  on  your  guard.  Reckon 
always,  when  sickness  or  trouble  comes,  the 
prince  of  this  world   comes   also.     Stand 


98  COMPANION  FOR 

then  to  your  defence,  and  put  on  your  ar- 
mour, especially  the  shield  of  faith,  that  you 
may  be  able  to  quench  the  fiery  darts  of  the 
devil.  You  have  need  at  this  time  to  put 
in  practice  our  Lord's  direction,  "Watch 
and  pray,  that  ye  enter  not  into  tempta- 
tion.'' Pray  for  wisdom  and  skill  to  coun- 
teract him,  and  that  you  may  not  be  igno- 
rant of  his  devices,  and  pray  particularly 
for  grace  to  make  you  proof  against  all  his 
false  representations  of  God  and  his  provi- 
dence to  you ;  for  he  that  dared  to  represent 
Job  falsely  to  an  all-seeing  and  all-knowing 
God,  will  with  much  boldness  represent 
God  falsely  to  you,  who  see  and  know  so 
little.  He  will  be  ready  to  tempt  you  to 
think  that  God  is  angry  with  you,  and  deal- 
ing with  you  as  an  enemy.  Thus  was  Job 
tempted,  Job  xxxiii.  19,  11,  *^  Behold  he 
findeth  occasions  against  me,  he  counteth 
me  for  his  enemy:  he  putteth  my  feet  in 
the  stocks,  he  marketh  all  my  paths."  But 
observe  what  Elihu  answers,.  "  In  this  thou 
art  not  just;  God  is  greater  than  man.  Why 
dost  thou  strive  against  him  ?  for  he  giveth 
not  account  of  any  of  his  matters."  Satan, 
your  malicious  enemy,  will  not  fail  to  attack 
you  at  this  time,  with  all  his  might;  for 
though  he  may  know  he  cannot  keep  you 
out  of  heaven,  yet  he  will  labour  to  render 


THE  SICK.  99 

your  passage  towards  it  as  dark,  tempestu- 
ous, and  uncomfortable  as  he  possibly  can. 
But  it  is  the  believer's  happiness  that  this 
cruel  enemy  is  under  a  strong  chain,  and  can- 
not do  all  he  would;  for  Jesus  Christ  is  the 
good  shepherd  who  has  undertaken  for  all 
his  sheep.  Nevertheless,  by  his  wise  per- 
mission, this  adversary  may  sometimes  give 
great  disturbance  to  a  dying  saint;  which 
calls  you  to  the  greatest  diligence  and 
watchfulness  at  this  time.  It  is  the  obser- 
vation of  one,  that  as  the  devil  is  most  busy 
at  the  conclusion  of  a  duty,  as  of  prayer, 
that  the  'Christian  may  be  most  disturbed 
and  distracted  when  he  is  to  close  all  in  the 
name  of  Christ,  and  so  all  his  .desires  be 
frustrated:  so  he  is  most  busy  in  the  con- 
clusion of  our  days,  and  when  death  is  at 
hand,  seeking  by  temptations,  distractions, 
and  false  imaginations,  to  do  us  all  the  mis- 
chief he  can,  and  all  because  he  knows  his 
time  is  short;  according  to  that  word.  Rev. 
xii.  12,  "  Tlie  devil  is  come  down,  having 
great  wrath,  because  he  knoweth  that  he 
hath  but  a  short  time."  He  may  fitly  be 
called  the  wolf  of  the  evening,  mentioned 
in  Jer.  v.  6,  because  he  comes  forth  most 
fiercely  in  the  evening  of  men's  lives,  to  set 
upon  their  precious  souls.  Yea,  so  busy  is 
he  sometimes  with  believers  under  danger- 


100  COMPANION  FOR 

ous  sickness,  seeking  to  overthrow  their 
faith  and  assurance,  that  it  is  the  observation 
of  a  good  man,  that  he  seldom  saw  a  sick 
saint,  followed  close  with  temptations,  re- 
cover of  that  sickness;  for  Satan,  knowing 
he  has  but  little  time,  proves  as  uneasy  to 
him  as  he  can.  Hence  that  great  man  of 
God,  Mr.  Knox,  said,  when  he  came  to  die: 
<'  In  my  life  time  the  devil  tempted  me  to 
despair,  casting  my  sins  in  my  teeth:  but 
now  in  my  sickness,  he  tells  me,  I  have 
been  faithful  in  the  ministry,  and  so  have 
merited  heaven :  but  blessed  be  God,  who 
brought  these  texts  into  my  mind,  'Not  I 
but  the  grace  of  God  in  me.  What  hast 
thou  that  thou  hast  not  received  ?'  "  The 
children  of  Israel  never  met  with  such  fierce 
opposition  from  their  enemies,  as  when  they 
were  about  entering  into  the  promised  land. 


THE  SICK.  101 

CHAPTER   IV. 

SECTION  I. 

Seek  to  attain  to  a  willingness  to  die,  and  leave  the  world 
witli  joy. 

It  is  no  wonder  that  a  wicked  man,  or 
one  that  has  no  interest  in  Christ,  should  be 
unwilling  to  die:  because  he  is  affrighted 
with  the  guilt  of  past  sins,  and  the  fears  of 
future  torments;  and  it  is  impossible  to  be 
rid  of  these  till  he  become  a  true  believer 
in  Christ.  No  man  has  ground  to  welcome 
death  but  the  believer;  yet  it  is  to  be  re- 
gretted that  so  many  of  them  should  appear 
unwilling  to  leave  this  world,  which  is  no- 
thing to  them  but  a  wilderness  and  weary 
land.  Lot's  soul  was  vexed  and  troubled 
in  Sodom,  yet  he  was  loath  to  leave  it;  so 
some  believers,  when  called  to  leave  a  vex- 
ing world,  show  much  hankering  towards 
it,  and  linger  behind.  This  proceeds  partly 
from  nature,  which  dreads  a  dissolution,  and 
partl)^  from  the  weakness  of  grace.  But  0 
let  all  God's  children  labour  to  overcome 
this  aversion,  and  go  forth  to  meet  death 
half-way,  and  bid  it  welcome.  And  for 
their  help  in  this  matter,  I  shall  lay  before 
them  the  following  reflections: 


102  COMPANION  FOR 

1st.  Consider  how  little  reason  a  believer 
has  to  be  much  in  love  with  this  present 
life.  1.  It  is  a  sinful  life,  sin  dwells  in 
your  nature,  breaks  out  in  your  life,  and 
pollutes  all  your  duties.  How  often  have 
you  groaned  under  this  burden  ?  and  should 
you  not  be  glad  to  be  eternally  delivered 
from  it?  2.  It  is  a  life  of  diseases  and  infir- 
mities; and  should  you  not  be  willing  to 
be  cured  of  them  all  at  once?  3.  It  is  a  life 
of  temptation,  Satan  is  still  harrassing  you, 
and  should  you  not  be  desirous  to  be  out  of 
his  reach?  4.  It  is  a  life  of  persecutions 
from  the  wicked:  they  hate,  reproach,  and 
injure  you  many  ways:  and  is  it  not  desira- 
ble to  be  "where  the  wicked  cease  from 
troubling  and  the  weary  are  at  rest?''  5.  It 
is  a  life  of  clouds  and  darkness,  your  sun  is 
often  veiled,  and  your  evidences  obscured, 
which  occasions  many  bitter  complaints; 
and  should  you  not  desire  that  time  when 
the  day  shall  break,  and  all  shadows  fly 
away?  6.  It  is  a  life  of  calamities  and  fears: 
it  is  like  a  stormy  sea,  where  one  wave  rolls 
upon  another;  and  when  one  calamity  is 
past,  we  often  fear  a  greater  is  coming;  and 
soiTuetimes  the  heavens  turn  so  black  and 
gloomy,  that  we  fear  a  hurricane  of  judg- 
ments is  ready  to  destroy  us:  and  should 
you  not  bless  God,  when  he  comes  by  death 


THE  SICK.  103 

to  protect  your  souls,  and  set  you  out  of 
harm's  way?  It  is  in  mercy  that  God  takes 
away  the  righteous  from  the  evil  to  come, 
Isa.  Ivii.  1.  So  dealt  he  with  Josiah,  2 
Kings  xxii.  20,  '^I  will  gather  thee  to  thy 
fathers,  and  thou  shalt  be  put  into  thy  grave 
in  peace,  and  thine  eyes  shall  not  see  all  the 
evil  which  I  shall  bring  upon  this  place." 
So  is  it  observable  that  Methuselah  died  the 
very  year  before  the  flood:  Augustine  a  lit- 
tle before  the  sacking  of  Hippo:  Pareous 
just  before  the  taking  of  Heidelberg.  Lu- 
ther observes  that  all  the  apostles  died  be- 
fore the  destruction  of  Jerusalem.  And 
Luther  himself  died  before  the  bloody  wars 
broke  out  in  Germany.  Thus  God  frequent- 
ly hides  his  people  from  the  temptations  and 
troubles  that  are  coming  on  tke  earth. 
Why?  Bepause  he  sees  many  of  them  not 
prepared  to  endure  them:  and  therefore  he 
in  mercy  takes  them  away  from  a  tempting 
and  sinning  world,  to  a  land  of  holiness  and 
-  rest.  While  we  are  here,  we  live  in  a  world 
that  lies  in  wickedness;  every  sense  of  the 
body  betrays  the  soul  into  sin:  the  poor 
soul  can  scarce  look  out  at  the  eye,  and  not 
be  infected;  nor  hear  by  the  ear,  and  not  be 
distracted;  nor  smell  at  the  nostrils,  and  not 
be  tainted ;  nor  taste  at  the  tongue,  and  not 


104  COMPANION  FOR 

be  allured ;  nor  touch  by  the  hand,  and  not 
be  defiled. 

0  believer,  what  is  this  life  that  thou  art 
so  fond  of?  it  is  but  a  living  death,  or  a  dy- 
ing life.  It  is  full  of  grief  for  things  past, 
full  of  labour  for  things  present,  and  full  of 
fears  for  things  future.  The  first  part  of  our 
life  is  spent  in  folly:  the  middle  part  is 
overwhelmed  with  cares:  and  the  latter  part 
of  it  is  burdened  with  infirmities  and  age. 
And  what  do  we  gain  by  the  prolonging  of 
this  life  ?  nothing  but  to  do  more  evil,  see 
more  evil,  and  suffer  more  evil.  And  should 
a  Christian  be  unwilling  to  be  rid  of  these 
grievances  ? 

2d.  Consider  that  dying  is  appointed  as 
the  way,  and  the  only  way  to  glory ;  there 
is  no  way  to  enter  the  promised  land,  but 
by  crossing  the  Jordan  of  death.  And 
should  not  a  stranger  desire  to  be  at  home 
with  his  friends,  though  he  has  a  rough  way 
and  stormy  sea  to  pass  ?  Is  there  any  home 
like  heaven,  where  your  incomparable  friend 
Christ  is  ?  0  what  a  happiness  is  it  to  be 
with  Christ,  and  to  see  him  as  he  is?  how 
happy  do  you  think  Peter,  James  and  John 
were,  in  being  taken  up  to  Mount  Tabor, 
to  be  eye-witnesses  of  their  Saviour's  trans- 
figuration ?  But,  0  believer,  death  procures 
a  greater  happiness  to  you ;  it  conducts  you 


THE  SICK.  105 

to  your  home,  to  mansions  in  the  skies  pre- 
pared for  you;  it  ushers  you  to  Mount  Zion, 
where  you  shall  not  only  see  your  Saviour 
whiter  than  the  snow,  and  brighter  than  the 
sun,  but  yourself  transfigured  with  him, 
made  like  him,  and  eternally  secured  of  his 
presence.  The  three  apostles  saw  but  two 
prophets;  but  you  shall  see  all  the  prophets, 
all  the  apostles,  all  the  patriarchs,  all  the 
martyrs,  all  the  holy  persons  you  once  con- 
versed with  on  earth,  and  in  general  all  the 
saints  in  heaven,  each  of  them  shining  as  the 
sun;  and  how  sweet  will  their  company  be.'* 
0  how  soon  will  the  trifles  of  the  world 
vanish,  and  all  its  pleasures  be  forgotten, 
when  once  the  believer  gets  a  view  of  that 
captivating  glory  above!  When  the  shep- 
herds heard  but  some  few  notes  of  the  an- 
gel's song,  who  praised  God  at  the  nativity 
of  our  Saviour,  they  immediately  left  their 
flocks,  and  ran  to  Bethlehem  to  behold  the 
child  Jesus  lying  in  the  manger;  but  much 
more  cause  has  a  believer  to  leave  all  the 
pleasures  of  the  world,  and  run  to  behold 
an  exalted  Jesus  sitting  on  the  throne  of  his 
glory,  with  all  his  saints  and  angels  singing 
praises  around  him. 

If  Cato  and  Cleombrotus,  two  heathens, 
after  reading  Plato's  book  on  the  immor- 
tality of  the  soul,  died  voluntarily,  the  one 
K  2 


106  COMPANION  FOR 

fell  on  his  Bword,  the  other  broke  his  neck 
from  a  precipice,  that  they  might  the  sooner 
come  (as  they  fancied)  to  partake  of  these 
joys;  what  a  shame  is  it  for  Christians,  who 
have  a  far  surer  and  clearer  discovery  of 
these  things  from  God's  own  book,  to  be 
found  unwilling  to  enter  into  these  heavenly 
joys,  when  their  blessed  Redeemer  calls 
them  thither? 

3d.  Consider  how  willing  Christ  was  to 
come  from  heaven  to  earth  for  you;  and 
should  you  be  unwilling  to  remove  from 
earth  to  heaven  for  him?  yea,  for  your- 
selves, for  the  gain  is  yours  ?  •  O  did  Christ 
assume  our  nature,  become  obedient  to 
death,  and  purchase  an  inheritance  for  you 
with  his  blood;  and  will  you  be  backward 
to  go  and  take  possession  of  it?  0  for  a 
Christ-like  obedience  at  death ! 

Lastly.  Consider  what  a  reproach  is  cast 
on  Christianity,  by  a  believer's  unwilling- 
ness to  die.  For  Christian's  to  pray,  and 
speak  much  of  Christ,  of  heaven  and  glory, 
and  yet  be  unwilling  to  enter  into  that 
glory;  what  is  it  but  a  mistrusting  of  God, 
and  a  tempting  of  the  world  to  think  there 
is  no  reality  in  religion. 

In  order  to  attain  to  this  willingness  to  die, 

1.  Frequently  put  forth  acts  of  faith  upon 
the  righteousness   of  Christ;   and   believe 


THE  SICK.  107 

that  Christ  died  to  bring  in  a  perfect  right- 
eousness for  believers,  that  they  all  might 
be  complete  in  him.  Now  why  should  a 
believer  be  afraid  to  appear  before  God  in 
Christ's  righteousness,  which  is  so  pleas- 
ing and  acceptable  to  him?  Rev.  xiv.  4, 
5,  they  are  said  to  be  "without  fault  before 
the  throne  of  God."  If  *a  believer  were  to 
appear  before  God  in  his  own  righteousness, 
clothed  with  his  own  duties  and  perform- 
ances, it  would  be  dreadful  to  think  of 
dying;  but  to  have  the  white  garment  of 
an  elder  brother  to  put  on,  gives  another 
view  of  death.  Alas,  it  is  our  neglecting 
the  daily  exercise  of  faith  in  the  righteous- 
ness of  Christ,  that  makes  the  thoughts  of 
death  so  unwelcome. 

2d.  When  you  attain  to  peace  and  recon- 
ciliation with  God,  labour  to  preserve  it. 
Be  stating  and  clearing  accounts  with  God 
every  day,  and  watch  against  those  sins  that 
wound  conscience,  waste  comfort,  and  grieve 
the  Spirit  of  adoption.  When  we  think 
God  is  displeased  with  us,  we  will  be  afraid 
of  going  to  him. 

3d.  Study  more  self-denial  of  the  en- 
joyments of  this  life,  and  to  use  them  with 
a  holy  indifference;  otherwise  there  will  be 
an  unwillingness  to  leave  these  things. 

4th.  Labour  to  be  deeply  sensible  of  the 


108  COMPANION  FOR 

burden  of  indwelling  sin  and  corruption, 
and  their  workings  in  your  heart;  and  this 
will  make  the  thoughts  of  death  welcome, 
because  it  eternally  delivers  you  from  it. 

5th.  Seek  further  discoveries  of  the  love- 
liness of  Christ,  and  the  daily  exercise  and 
increase  of  your  soul's  love  to  him;  for  it  is 
the  nature  of  love"  to  long  after  communion 
with  the  person  that  we  love. 

6th.  Make  death  familiar  to  you  by  the 
frequent  forethought  of  it.  Retire  often 
from  the  world  to  think  of  dying,  when  you 
are  in  best  health. 

7th.  Be  much  taken  up  in  the  sweet  em- 
ployment of  praising  God,  and  exalting  the 
worthy  Lamb  that  was  slain;  and  this  will 
incite  you  to  be  there,  where  this  is  the 
continual  work. 


SECTION  II. 

Endeavour  to  overcome  the  fears  of  death. 

^What  is  there  formidable  in  death,  says  an 
elegant  writer,  which  our  ever-blessed  Re- 
deemer has  not  taken  away  ?  Do  the  pangs 
of  dissolution  alarm  us?  should  they  be 
sharp,  they  cannot  be  very  long ;  and  our 
exalted  Lord,  with  whom  are  the  issues  of 
death,  knows  what  dying  agonies  mean.    He 


THE  SICK.  109 

has  said,  in  the  multitude  of  his  tender  mer 
cies, '  Fear  thou  not,  for  I  am  with  thee :  be 
not  dismayed,  for  I  am  thy  God :  I  will 
strengthen  thee,  yea,  I  will  help  thee,  yea,  I 
will  uphold  thee  with  the  right  hand  of  my 
righteousness,'  Is.  xli.  10.  This  promise 
authorises  us  to  say  boldly,  'Yea,  though  I 
walk  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of 
death,  I  will  fear  no  evil :  for  thou  art  with 
me,  thy  rod  and  thy  stajQf  comfort  me,'  Ps. 
xxviii.  4. 

Are  we  afraid  to  enter  into  a  strange,  in- 
visible, unknown  world?  It  is  the  world 
into  which  our  divine  Master  has  gone; 
where  he  has  prepared  everlasting  mansions 
for  his  people,  John  xiv.  2. — Luke  xvi.  22. 
and  has  appointed  his  angels  to  conduct  us 
thither.  Having  such  a  convoy,  what 
should  we  dread  ?  and  going  to  our  eternal 
home,  where  our  all-bountiful  Redeemer  is, 
why  should  we  be  reluctant  ? 

Are  we  concerned,  on  account  of  what 
we  leave?  We  leave  the  worse,  to  possess 
the  better.  If  we  leave  our  earthly  friends 
we  shall  find  more  loving  coYnpanions. 
We  shall  be  admitted  among  the '  innumera- 
ble company  of  angels,  and  to  the  general 
assembly  of  the  church  of  the  first-born, 
that  are  written  in  heaven.'  Heb.  xii.  22, 23, 
Do  we  leave   the   ordinances   of  religion, 


110  COMPANION  FOR 

which  we  have  attended  with  great  delight? 
leave  the  word  of  God,  which  has  been 
sweeter  to  our  souls  than  honey  to  our 
mouths  ?  We  shall  enter  into  the  temple, 
not  made  with  hands,  and  join  that  happy 
choir,  who  rests  not  day  nor  night,  saying 

*  Holy,  holy,  holy.  Lord  God  Almighty, 
which  was,  and  is,  and  is  to  come.  Rev.  iv. 
8.  And  if  our  Bible  is  no  more,  we  shall 
have  all  that  is  promised,  we  shall  behold 
all  that  is  described  therein.  If  we  drop 
the  map  of  our  heavenly  Canaan,  it  will  be 
to  take  possession  of  its  blissful  territories. 
'  That  city  has  no  need  of  the  sun,  neither 
of  the  moon,  to  shine  in  it;  for  the  glory  of 
God  does  lighten  it,  and  the  Lamb  is  the 
light  thereof.'  Rev.  xxi.  23.  0,  blessed, 
for  ever  blessed,  be  the  grace  of  our  God, 
and  the  merits  of  his  Christ !  We  shall  ex- 
change the  scanty  stream  for  the  boundless 
ocean;  and  if  we  no  longer  pick  the  first 
ripe  grapes,  we  shall  gather  the  copious,  the 
abounding,  the  never-ending  vintage. 

Do  we  fear  the  guilt  of  our  innumerable 
sins?  Adored  be  the  inexpressible  loving- 
kindness  of  God  our  Saviour  !  Our  sins 
have   been  punished  in  the  blessed  Jesus; 

*  The  Lord  laid  on  him  the  iniquity  of  us 
all.'  Isa.  iii.  6.  He  his  own  self  bare  our 
sins,  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree.  1  Pet.  ii. 


THE  SICK.  Ill 

24.  So  that  there  is  no  condemnation  to 
them  that  are  in  Christ  Jesus.  Rom.  viii.  1. 
O !  that  we  may  be  enabled,  with  the  apos- 
tle, to  make  our  boast  of  this  Saviour,  and 
triumph  in  this  faith!  '  Who  shall  lay  any 
thing  to  the  charge  of  God's  elect?  It  is 
God  that  justifieth  ;  who  is  he  that  condemn- 
eth  ?  It  is  Christ  that  died,  yea  rather  that 
is  risen  again,  who  is  even  at  the  right  hand 
of  God;  who  also  maketh  intercession  for 
us.' 

Is  judgment  the  thing  that  we  fear?  To 
the  pardoned  sinner  it  has  nothing  terrible. 
The  Lord  Jesus,  w^ho  keeps  his  servants 
from  falling,  ^presents  them  also  faultless 
before  the  presence  of  his  glory  with  ex- 
ceeding joy.  Jude  verse  24.  Observe  the 
sweet  expressions,  presents  faultless, — and 
with  exceeding  joy.  Justly  therefore  does 
the  apostle  reckon  it  among  the  privileges 
of  the  Christians,  that  they  are  come  to  God 
the  Judge  of  all:  Heb.  xii.  23.  forthe  Judge 
is  our  friend,  the  Judge  is  our  advocate,  the 
Judge  is  our  propitiation,  the  J\idge  is  our 
righteousness.  And  is  it  not  -a  privilege  to 
come  to  such  a  Judge,  as  will  not  so  much 
as  mention  our  iniquities  to  us,  but  conde- 
scend to  take  notice  of  our  poor  unworthy 
services;  who  sits  on  the  great  tribunal,  not 
to  pass  sentence  of  damnation  upon  us,  but 


112  COMPANION  FOR 

to  give  us  a  reward; — a  reward  of  free 
grace,  and  of  inconceivable  richness? 

^Comfort  ye,  comfort  ye,  my  people,  saith 
your  God.  Speak  you  comfortably  to  Je- 
rusalem, and  cry  unto  her,  that  her  warfare 
is  accomplished,  that  her  iniquity  is  par- 
doned ;  for  her  Redemer,  her  all-gracious 
Redeemer,  hath  received  of  the  Lord's 
hand  double  for  all  her  sins.'  Isa.  xl.  1,  2. 
May  the  God  of  our  life  and  salvation  make 
these  scriptures  be  unto  you  as  a  staflf  in  the 
traveller's  hand,  and  as  a  cordial  to  the 
fainting  heart,  that  you  may  be  strong  in 
the  faith  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  that 
you  may  glorify  him  in  death,  and  glorify 
him  for  death ;  because  death  will  introduce 
you  into  his  immediate  presence,  where  you 
shall  be  sorrowful  no  more,  sinful  no  more, 
at  a  distance  no  more ;  but  be  joyful,  and 
be  like  our  Lord;  love  him  with  all  your 
soul,  praise  him  to  eternity.  Let  us  then 
be  of  good  cheer ;  soon  in  our  heavenly  Je- 
rusalem we  shall  meet  again.  Because  God 
is  faithful,  "inviolably  faithful  and  infinitely 
merciful,  who  hath  promised. 

But  after  death  comes  judgment,  and  is 
this  terrible  ?  Consider  who  is  the  Judge. 
Was  the  father  that  begat  you,  was  the 
mother  that  bare  you,  or  the  friend  that  is 
as  your  own  soul ;  was  any  of  these  to  be 


THE  SICK.  113 

the  judge,  and  to  pass  the  sentence,  you 
would  not  be  apprehensive  of  rigorous  pro- 
ceedings, you  would  expect  all  possible  cle- 
mency. Mercy  in  this  case,  would  rejoice 
against  judgment.  But,  to  our  unspeakable 
comfort,  we  are  informed  by  the  Scriptures, 
that  a  glorious  person,  far  more  merciful 
than  a  father,  far  more  compassionate  tlnn  a 
mother,  far  more  affectionate  than  a  friend, 
is  to  decide  our  doom  ;  even  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  who  loved  us  with  an  everlasting 
love ;  who  declares  that  a  woman  may  forget 
her  sucking  child,  much  sooner  than  he  for- 
get to  be  merciful  to  those  that  put  their 
trust  in  him:  for  thus  it  is  written,  ^  God 
hath  appointed  a  day,  in  w^hich  he  will  judge 
the  world  in  righteousness,  by  that  man 
whom  he  hath  ordained,  even  Jesus  Christ.' 
Acts  xvii.  31. 

The  Judge  calls  himself  our  husband,  the 
bridegroom  of  poor  believing  souls.  And 
will  the  bridegroom  deliver  to  destruction 
his  own  bride,  whom  he  has  bought  with 
his  blood,  and  with  whom  he  has  made  an 
everlasting  covenant?     Isai.  liv.  5. 

The  Judge  vouchsafes  to  be  our  advocate. 
And  will  he  condemn  those  for  whom  he 
has  long  interceded  ?  will  he  condemn  those 
for  whom  he  poured  out  his  prayers  when 
he  was  on  earth,  and  on  whose  behalf  he 


114  COMPANION  FOR 

has  constantly  pleaded  in  the  presence  of 
God?   1  John  ii.  1. 

The  Judge  condescends  to  be  our  head, 
and  calls  the  weakest  believers  his  mem- 
bers. And  did  any  one  hate  his  own  body? 
Did  ever  any  one  delight  to  maim,  or  take 
pleasure  to  ruin  his  own  flesh,  and  his 
bones?     Col.  i.  18.     1  Cor.  xi .  27. 

The  Judge  has  been  our  victim,  the  sacri- 
fice for  our  sins.  And  will  he  consign 
those  to  damnation,  for  whom  he  endured 
the  agonies  of  crucifixion  ?  If  he  has  given 
himself  for  us,  will  Ije  not  with  this  gift 
freely  give  us  all  things  ?  give  us  pardon  at 
that  awful  day?  give  us  the  crown  of  glory 
which  fadeth  not  away?     Heb.  ix.  14.  26. 

Further,  to  confirm  your  faith,  and  estab- 
lish your  hope,  it  will  be  proper  to  consider, 
what  you  have  to  plead.  The  proud  Phari- 
see made  his  abstaining  from  gross  iniqui- 
ties, and  his  punctuality  in  some  external 
performance,  his  plea.  The  blinded  Jews 
went  about  to  establish  their  own  righteous- 
ness, and  depended  on  this  broken  reed  for 
acceptance.  But  we  have  a  surer  founda- 
tion, whereon  to  build  our  comfortable  ex- 
pectations. 

If  arraigned  on  the  foot  of  guilt;  great 
guilt;  manifold  guilt;  aggravated  guilt; 
long-contracted  guilt;   we  have  an  atone- 


THE  SICK.  115 

Tnent  to  plead,  a  sacrifice  of  unknown  value, 
a  propitiation  glorious  and  divine.  We 
have  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  to  plead ; 
blood  that  taketh  away  not  one  sin,  or  a  few 
sins,  or  a  multitude  of  sins  only  ;  but  (0  de- 
lightful truth!)  taketh  way  all,  all,  all  sins. 
Yes,  it  taketh  away  all  sins  from  the  be- 
liever, be  they  ever  so  numerous;  all  sins, 
be  they  ever  so  heinous.  1  John  i.  7. 
Rev.  i.  5. 

Should  the  law  take  us  by  the  throat,  and 
make  that  severe  demand,  "Pay  me  that 
thou  owest."  It  is  paid,  we  reply,  by  our 
divine  Surety.  An  incarnate  God  has  been 
obedient  in  our  stead.  In  the  Lord,  the 
Lord  Redeemer,  have  we  righteousness. 
And  can  the  law  insist  on  a  more  excellent 
satisfaction  ?  Does  not  this  magnify  the 
law  and  make  it  honourable  ?  By  the  obe- 
dience of  one  (this  is  Christ)  shall  many  be 
made  righteous.     Is.  xlv.  24.     Rom.  v.  19. 

Should  it  further  be  urged,  that  without 
holiness  no  man  shall  see  the  Lord ;  is  not 
holiness  the  thing  that  we  have  longed  for? 
Is  it  not  true,  we  have  not  attained  to  holi- 
ness; spotless  and  undefiled  holiness;  neither 
could  we,  in  the  regions  of  temptation,  and  in 
a  body  of  corruption.  But  has  not  our  guilt 
been  our  sorrow,  and  our  indwelling  sin 


116  COMPANION  FOR 

our  heaviest  cross  ?  Have  we  not  groaned 
under  our  remaining  iniquities,  and  been 
burthened  with  a  sense  of  our  failings  ? 
And  are  not  these  groanings  the  first  fruits 
of  the  Spirit  ?  Are  not  these  the  work  of 
thine  own  grace,  blessed  Lord  ?  and  wilt  thou 
not  consummate  in  heaven  what  thou  hast 
begun  upon  earth?  Do  we  not  desire  hea- 
ven, chiefly  because  in  those  blessed  man- 
sions we  shall  sin  no  more ;  we  shall  offend 
our  God  no  more ;  be  no  more  forgetful  of 
a  dying  Saviour;  no  more  disobedient  to 
the  motions  of  a  sanctifying  Spirit?  And 
shall  we  be  disappointed  of  this  hope  ?  It 
cannot,  it  cannot  be. 

They  that  hunger  and  thirst  after  right- 
eousness, are  not  filled  while  they  abide  in 
the  flesh;  therefore  there  remaineth  the 
accomplishment  of  this  promise,  they  will 
assuredly  awake  up  after  the  likeness  of 
their  Lord,  at  the  great  resurrection  day, 
and,  in  another  world,  be  fully,  everlastingly 
satisfied  with  it. 


THE  SICK.  117 

CHAPTER  V. 
SECTION  I. 

Stody  to  imitate  the  ancient  worthies,  by  dying  in  faith. 

This  was  the  character  and  epitaph  of  the 
Old  Testament  saints,  Heb.  xi.  13.  "These 
all  died  in  faith/'  As  they  had  lived  by 
faith,  so  they  died  in  faith.  They  not  only 
continued  true  believers  to  the  last,  dying 
in  the  state  of  faith,  but  they  died  in  the  ex- 
ercise of  faith  also.  Now  the  exercise  of 
faith  in  dying,  includes  several  things,  wor- 
thy to  be  imitated  by  all  dying  believers. 

1st.  An  open  and  professed  adherence  to 
the  doctrine  of  faith  and  truths  of  Christia- 
nity. This  faith  all  Christians  should  zeal- 
ously own  in  the  view  of  death,  and  perse- 
vere in  it  to  the  last  without  wavering. 
This  would  be  to  die  like  martyrs,  though 
we  die  in  our  beds.  How  steadfastly  did 
old  Polycarp  adhere  to  Christ  and  his  truths 
to  the  last,  and  so  died  in  faith !  When  he 
was  urged  by  the  proconsul  to  deny  Christ, 
he  answered,  '^  These  fourscore  and  six 
years  have  I  served  him,  and  he  never  once 
offended  me:  and  how  shall  I  now  deny 
him?" 

2d.  Dying  in  faith  imports  an  inward, 
L  2 


118  COMPANION  FOR 

hearty,  and  firm  belief  in  the  fundamental 
articles  of  the  Christian  faith:  and  improv- 
ing them,  so  as  to  make  them  the  foundation 
of  our  comfort  and  hope,  at  the  hour  of 
death.  As  for  instance,  we  must  yield  our 
departing  souls,  in  the  firm  belief  of  their 
living  and  existing  in  a  separate  condition 
after  this  life,  and  of  that  future  state  of 
blessedness  and  rest  which  God  has  prepar- 
ed for  all  believers.  Again,  we  must  dis- 
miss the  body  to  the  grave,  in  a  firm  belief 
and  hope  of  a  joyful  resurrection  at  the  last 
day.  Thus  that  holy  man  Job  both  lived 
and  died  in  faith.  Job  xix.  25,26,  "I  know 
that  my  Redeemer  liveth,  and  that  he  shall 
stand  at  the  latter  day  upon  the  earth.  And 
though  after  my  skin,  worms  destroy  this 
body,  yet  in  my  flesh  I  shall  see  God."  A 
Christian  then  dies  in  faith,  when  he  be- 
lieves these  truths  so  as  cheerfully  to  obey 
God's  call,  and  venture  into  the  invisible 
world,  upon  the  testimony  which  God  has 
given  concerning  it:  As  Abraham  did  in 
going  out  to  an  unknown  land,  Heb.  xi.  8, 
*^  By  faith  Abraham,  when  he  was  called  to 
go  out  into  a  place  which  he  should  after 
receive  for  an  inheritance,  obeyed,  and  he 
went  out,  not  knowing  whither  he  went." 

3d.  The  believer  dies  in  faith  when  he 
makes  fresh  application  to  Christ  as  his  only 


THE  SICK.  119 

hope  and  Saviour,  takes  him  in  his  arms  of 
faith,  as  old  Simeon  did  before  his  death, 
saying,  "  In  the  Lord  Christ  I  have  righte- 
ousness and  strength;"  though  I  have  nei- 
ther righteousness  nor  strength  in  myself, 
yet  I  have  both  in  him,  my  blessed  surety 
and  Redeemer.  We  have  many  uses  for 
faith  in  Christ  at  the  hour  of  death.  By 
faith  we  must  depend  upon  Christ's  blood 
for  making  atonement,  and  washing  away 
the  guilt  of  all  our  past  sins.  By  faith  we 
must  put  on  the  righteousness  of  Christ  for 
covering  our  naked  souls,  when  they  are  to 
appear  and  stand  before  God.  By  faith  we 
must  rely  on  Christ  for  strength  to  suffer 
pain,  resist  temptations,  and  conquer  death 
and  all  our  enemies.  By  faith  we  must  look 
to  Christ  as  our  leader,  and  trust  him  for 
our  safe  conduct  through  the  dark  valley  of 
death,  and  for  safe  landing  on  the  shore  of 
glory. 

4th.  The  believer  dies  in  faith  when  he 
trusts  his  departing  soul  with  confidence  in 
his  Redeemer's  hand,  saying  with  Paul,  2 
Tim.  i.  12,  "I  know  whom  I  have  believed, 
and  am  persuaded  he  is  able  to  keep  that 
which  I  have  committed  unto  him  against 
that  day."  This  was  the  Psalmists  practice, 
Psal.  xxxi.  5,  "  Into  thy  hand  I  commit  my 
spirit;  for  thou  hast  redeemed  me,  0  Lord 


120  COMPANION  FOR 

God  of  truth. "  Martyred  Stephen,  when 
dying,  committed  his  soul  into  the  hands  of 
Christ,  saying  "Lord  Jesus  receive  my 
spirit. '^  So  the  man  that  dies  in  faith  com- 
mits his  soul  to  his  Redeemer's  keeping, 
and  confides  in  his  care  of  it.  Because  he 
made  it,  he  has  redeemed  it,  he  loves  it,  it 
is  his  own,  a  member  of  his  body,  and  he 
will  not  hate  his  own  flesh.  He  loves  his 
dying  saints  much  better  than  we  love  an 
eye,  a  hand,  or  any  other  member  of  our 
body,  which,  to  be  sure,  we  will  not  lose 
if  it  be  in  our  power  to  save  it. 

5th.  Dying  in  faith  imports  that  the  dying 
saint  confides  in  God's  faithfulness  and  truth 
for  making  good  all  those  promises  to  his 
church  and  people  after  his  death,  which 
are  not  yet  accomplished.  We  should  go 
ofi'  the  stage,  in  the  firm  belief  of  God's  ful- 
filling all  his  promises  concerning  the  pros- 
perity of  his  church,  the  calling  of  the  Jews, 
the  destruction  of  anti-Christ,  and  the  second 
coming  of  our  Lord  :  and  likewise  concern- 
ing our  families,  that  God  will  be  as  good 
as  his  word,  and  be  a  father  to  the  father- 
less, and  a  husband  to  the  widow. 

Would  we  then  be  so  happy  as  to  die  in 
faith,  let  us  take  these  advices. 

1st.  Let  us  be  careful  to  get  faith  before- 
hand: for  death  is  a  time  to  use  faith,  not 


THE  SICK.  121 

to  get  it.  They  were  foolish  virgins  who 
had  their  oil  to  buy  when  the  bridegroom 
was  come. 

2d.  Study  to  live  every  day  in  the  exer- 
cise of  faith,  and  be  still  improving  and 
making  use  of  Christ  in  all  his  offices,  and 
for  all  these  ends  and  uses  for  which  God 
has  given  him  to  believers. 

3d.  Be  frequently  clearing  up  your  evi- 
dences for  heaven,  and  beware  of  letting 
sin  blot  them  out. 

4th.  Record  and  lay  up  the  experiences 
of  God's  kind  dealings  with  you,  and  be 
often  reflecting  upon  them,  that  you  may 
have  them  ready  at  hand  in  the  hour  of 
death. 

Lastly.  Meditate  much  on  these  promises 
which  have  been  sweet  and  comfortable  to 
you  in  times  of  distress:  and  beg  that  the 
Lord  may  bring  them  to  your  remembrance 
when  you  come  to  die. 


SECTION  II. 

Set  the  examples  of  other  dying  saints  before  you. 

This  is  the  last  opportunity  you  have  of 
doing  service  to  God,  and  the  interest  of 
religion,  wherefore  strive  to  improve  it  dili- 
gently for  the  honour  of  God,  and  the  edifi- 


122  COMPANION  rOR 

cation  of  those  who  survive  you.  How  plea- 
sant it  is  to  see  God's  people  leaving  the 
world,  commending  Christ  and  his  service. 

What  I  design  in  this  section,  is  to  set  be- 
fore you  the  dying  example  of  eminent  be- 
lievers, by  giving  you  a  short  history  of  their 
last  moments  and  of  their  last  sayings;  in 
order  that  their  dying  testimony  may 
strengthen  and  encourage  you  to  be  stead- 
fast in  the  faith  of  Christ,  and  to  triumph  in 
death.  Surely  it  is  for  this  very  end  that 
God  has  encompassed  us  about  with  so  great 
a  cloud  of  witnesses,  Heb.  xii.  1.  Thus 
does  the  apostle  improve  their  example, 
Heb.  xi.  And  how  earnest  is  he  in  this 
matter?  Heb.  vi.  11,  12,  "And  we  desire 
that  every  one  of  you  do  show  the  same 
diligence,  to  the  full  assurance  of  hope  unto 
the  end ;  that  ye  be  not  slothful,  but  follow- 
ers of  them  who  through  faith  and  patience 
inherit  the  promises." 

I  shall  begin  with  some  examples  from 
the  sacred  history,  and  in  the  first  place 
with  the  King  of  saints,  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  0  how  sweet  and  comforting  were 
his  discourses  to  his .  disciples,  when  his 
death  drew  nigh!  and  what  a  heavenly 
prayer  did  he  make  for  them,  and  all  his 
elect  ones  at  that  time!  These  we  have  re- 
corded in  the   14th,  15th,  16th  and   17th 


THE  SICK.  123 

chapters  of  John:  which  are  most  seasona- 
ble at  all  times  for  us  to  read  and  meditate 
upon,  but  especially  when  death  is  approach- 
ing. And  likewise  let  us  read  the  history 
of  our  Lord's  passion,  in  which  we  may  ob- 
serve the  wonderful  expressions  of  his  faith 
in.  God,  his  patience  under  sufferings,  his 
pity  to  his  enemies,  his  love  to  his  mother 
and  his  disciples,  his  concern  for  his  father's 
glory,  his  obedience  in  his  death, and  his  wil- 
lingness to  be  offered  up.  Thus  the  bless- 
ed Sun  of  righteousness  did  shine  forth  more 
gloriously  at  his  setting,  with  the  radiant 
beams  of  his  heavenly  grace  and  virtues: 
and  herein  he  has  made  himself  a  pattern 
for  all  dying  saints  to  the  end  of  the  world. 
Jacob,  when  he  was  on  his  death-bed, 
called  his  sons  together,  and  gave  them 
many  special  charges  and  blessings;  we 
have  his  excellent  words  recorded  in  Gen. 
xlviii.  and  xlix.  chapters.  And  in  particu- 
lar, how  sweetly  does  he  speak  of  the  com- 
ing of  the  Messiah  to  them?  Gen.  xlix.  10. 
18.  And  how  affectionately  does  he  com- 
mend God's  goodness  and  kind  providence 
towards  him  through  his  life?  Gen.  xlviii. 
15,  16.  "The  God  which  fed  me  all  my 
life  long  unto  this  day,"  &c. 

Joseph,  when  he  was  dying,  spoke  lovingly 
to  his  brethren,  who  had  dealt  cruelly  with 
him  3  and  assured  them  of  the  Lord's  faith- 


124  COMPANION  FOR 

fulness  in  keeping  his  promise  to  their 
fathers.  Gen.  1.  20.  "I  die,  and  God  will 
surely  visit  you,  and  bring  you  out  of  this 
land.'' 

Moses,  when  he  was  to  go  up  to  mount 
Nebo  to  die  there,  left  many  blessings,  and 
gave  many  weighty  charges  to  the  children 
of  Israel;  we  have  his  holy  words  recorded, 
Deut.  xxxii.  and  xxxiii.  chapters.  And 
particularly  how  delightfully  does  he  com- 
mend God,  and  his  w^ays  to  the  people! 
Deut.  xxxii.  4,  "He  is  the  rock,  his  work 
is  perfect:  for  all  his  ways  are  judgment:  a 
God  of  truth,  and  without  iniquity,  just 
and  right  is  he." 

Joshua,  when  he  was  near  his  end,  gave 
many  solemn  charges  and  exhortations  to 
the  people,  which  we  have  narrated  in  Josh, 
xxiii.  and  xxiv.  chapters.  And  there  we 
may  see  the  remarkable  methods  he  takes 
to  rivet  impressions  and  convictions  upon 
them,  now  when  he  can  instruct  them  no 
longer.  And  particularly,  he  appeals  to 
their  consciences  concerning  the  faithful- 
ness of  God  in  keeping  his  word  to  them, 
that  so  he  might  engage  them  to  fidelity  to 
him.  Josh,  xxiii.  14,  "And  behold  this 
day  I  am  going  the  way  of  all  the  earth, 
and  ye  know  in  ajl  your  hearts,  and  in  all 
your  souls,  that  not  one  thing  hath  failed  of 


THE  SICK.  125 

all  the  good  things  which  the  Lord  your 
God  spake  concerning  you." 

David,  when  his  end  was  near,  assem- 
bled the  people,  and  solemnly  charged 
them  as  in  the  audience  of  God,  to  keep  his 
commandments.  1  Chron.  xxviii.  8,  9. 
And  particularly  he  charged  his  son  and 
successor,  Solomon,  to  "  know  the  God  of 
his  father,  and  to  serve  him  with  a  perfect 
heart,  and  with  a  willing  mind." 

The  apostle  Paul,  when  taking  his  last 
farewell  of  the  elders  of  Ephesus,  most  so- 
lemnly charges  them,  to  "take  heed  to 
themselves,  and  the  flocks  over  which  the 
Holy  Ghost  had  made  them  overseers." 
Acts  XX.  28.  And  how  sweetly  does  he 
sing  in  the  view  of  approaching  death! 
2  Tim.  iv.  6,  7,  8,  "I  am  now  ready  to 
be  offered,  the  time  of  my  departure  is  at 
hand.  I  have  fought  a  good  fight,  I  have 
finished  my  course,  I  have  kept  the  faith. 
Henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown 
of  righteousness,  which  the  Lord,  the 
righteous  Judge,  shall  give  me  at  that  day; 
and  not  to  me  only,  but  unto  them  also  that 
love  his  appearing." 

In  imitation  of  these  Scripture  saints,  the 
people  of  God  in  all  ages,  have  studied  to 
glorify  God,  and  edify  men  at  their  death, 
by  commending  God  and  godliness  to  their 

M 


126  COMPANION  FOR 

friends  and  families.  These  we  ought  to 
teach  by  our  example,  both  how  to  live  and 
how  to  die,  as  others  have  done  before  us. 
Thus  said  once  a  dying  saint  to  his  family, 
"I  have  formerly  taught  you  how  to  live, 
and  now  I  teach  you  how  to  die.'' 

I  shall  now  bring  several  examples  from 
human  histories  and  writings. 

That  old  disciple,  Polycarp,  when  he 
came  to  the  stake  at  which  he  was  burnt, 
desired  to  stand  untied,  saying,  "Let  me 
alone,  for  he  that  gave  me  strength  to  come 
to  the  fire,  will  give  me  patience  to  endure 
the  flame  without  your  tieing." 

So  holy  Cyprian  triumphed  over  death, 
saying,  *Met  him  only  fear  death,  who 
must  pass  from  this  death  to  the  second 
death."  When  he  heard  the  sentence  of 
death  pronounced  against  him,  he  said,  "  I 
thank  God  for  freeing  me  from  the  prison 
of  this  body." 

Basil,  when  the  emperor  Valens  sent 
his  officers  to  tempt  him  with  great  prefer- 
ments to  turn  from  the  faith,  rejected 
them  with  scorn,  saying,  "You  may  offer 
these  things  to  children."  And  when  they 
threatened  him  with  sufferings,  he  said, 
'threaten  your  purple  gallants  with  these 
things  that  give  themselves  to  their  plea- 
sures." 

When  Modestus,  the  prefect,  threatened 


THE  SICK.  127 

Basil,  to  confiscate  his  goods,  to  torment 
him,  to  banish  him  or  kill  him,  he  answered, 
"he  need  not  fear  confiscation  who  had 
nothing  to  loose:  nor  banishment,  whose 
only  country  is  heaven:  nor  torments,  when 
his  body  would  be  destroyed  with  one  blow; 
nor  death,  which  was  the  only  way  to  set 
him  at  liberty/'  The  prefect  telling  him 
that  he  was  mad,  he  said,  Opio  me  in 
seternxim^  sic  delirare,  I  wish  I  may  for- 
ever be  thus  mad. 

Ignatius,  being  led  from  Syria  to  Rome 
to  be  torn  in  pieces  by  wild  beasts,  express- 
ed his  fear  lest  it  should  happen  to  him  as 
to  some  others,  that  the  lions,  out  of  a  kind 
of  reverence,  would  not  dare  to  touch  him. 
And  therefore  he  often  wished,  "That 
their  appetites  might  be  whetted  to  dispatch 
him.  "For,''  said  he,  "the  lions'  teeth  are 
but  a  like  a  mill,  which  though  it  bruises, 
yet  wastes  not  the  good  wheat,  but  only 
prepares  and  fits  it  to  be  made  into  pure 
bread.  Let  me  be  broken  by  them,  if  I 
may  but  be  made  pure  for  heaven." 

The  great  Mr.  Knox,  the  reformer, 
when  he  lay  on  his  death  bed  was  much  in 
prayer,  crying,  ''Come  Lord  Jesus;  sweet 
Jesus,  into  thy  hands  I  commend  my  spi- 
rit." Being  asked  by  those  that  attended 
him,  if  his  pain  was  great?  he  answered 
"that  he  did  not  esteem  that  a  pain,  which 


128  COMPANION  FOR 

would  be  to  him  the  end  of  all  trouble,  and 
the  beginning  of  eternal  joys."  Often, 
after  some  deep  meditations,  he  would  say 
"0  serve  the  Lord  in  fear,  and  death  shall 
not  be  terrible  to  you;  blessed  is  the  death 
of  those  that  have  part  in  the  death  of 
Jesus.' ^ 

After  a  sore  temptation  from  Satan,  over 
which  he  triumphed  at  length,  he  said, 
"Now  the  enemy  is  gone  away  ashamed, 
and  shall  no  more  return.  I  am  sure  now 
my  battle  is  at  an  end,  and  that  without 
pain  of  body,  or  trouble  of  spirit,  I  shall 
shortly  change  this  mortal  and  miserable 
life,  for  that  happy  and  immortal  life  which 
shall  never  have  an  end.''  After  one  had 
prayed  for  him,  he  was  asked  if  he  heard 
the  prayed?  he  answered,  "Would  to  God 
you  had  heard  it  with  such  an  ear  and 
heart  as  I  have  done!  adding  Lord  Jesus, 
receive  my  spirit."  With  which  words,, 
without  any  motion  of  hands  or  feet,  as  one 
falling  asleep  rather  than  dying,  he  ended 
his  life. 

Dr.  Gouge,  when  he  was  old  and 
dying  was  much  afflicted  with  the  stone, 
and  other  painful  maladies;  and  though  by 
reason  of  his  pains,  he  was  often  heard  to 
groan,  yet  he  never  once  murmured  at  the 
dispensations  of  God.  He  never  cried  out, 
a  great  sufferer,  but  often  a  great  sinner: 


THE  SICK.  129 

yet  still  comforted  himself,  by  saying  that 
there  is  a  great  Saviour.  In  his  greatest 
torments  he  would  say,  "Well,  in  all  these 
things  there  is  nothing  of  hell,  or  of  God's 
wrath.  0  my  soul  be  silent,  be  patient:  it 
is  thy  God  and  Father  that  thus  orders  thine 
estate.  Thou  art  his  clay;  he  may  tread 
and  trample  upon  thee  as  he  pleaseth;  thou 
hast  deserved  much  more.  It  is  enough 
that  thou  art  kept  out  of  hell;  though  thy 
pains  be  grievous,  yet  they  are  not  intole- 
rable, thy  God  affords  some  intermissions; 
he  will  turn  it  to  thy  good,  and  at  length 
put  an  end  to  all;  and  none  of  these  com- 
forts can  be  expected  in  hell."  In  his 
greatest  pains,  he  often  employed  Job's 
words,  "Shall  we  receive  good  from  the 
hand  of  the  Lord,  and  not  evil  also?" 
"When  any  of  his  friends  would  comfort 
him,  by  telling  of  his  eminent  gifts  and 
service  in  the  ministry,  he  would  answer, 
"I  dare  not  think  of  any  such  thing  for 
comfort:  only  Jesus  Christ,  and  what  he 
hath  done  and  endured,  is  the  ground  of 
my  sure  comfort."  The  thoughts  of  death 
were  pleasant  to  him,  which  he  often  termed 
his  best  friend,  next  unto  Jesus  Christ. 
And  he  would  bless  God,  that  he  had  noth- 
ing to  do  but  to  die. 

I  have  read  of  another  minister  under 
n2 


130  COMPANION  FOR 

similar  pains.  When  he  was  asked  how 
he  did?  his  frequent  answer  was,  "The 
bush  always  burning  but  not  consumed; 
though  my  pains  are  above  the  strength  of 
nature,  yet  they  are  not  above  the  supports 
of  grace/'  He  would  pray,  *^Lord  drop 
comfort  into  these  bitter  waters  of  Marah. 
Let  the  blood  of  sprinkling,  which  extin- 
guiseth  the  fire  of  thine  anger,  allay  my 
burning  pain.  Oh,  if  my  patience  were  more, 
my  pains  would  be  less;  Lord,  give  me  pa- 
tience, and  inflict  what  thou  wilt.  This  is 
a  fiery  chariot,  but  it  will  carry  me  to  hea- 
ven. O  my  God  break  open  the  prison 
door,  and  set  my  poor  captive  soul  free:  I 
desire  to  be  dissolved,  but  enable  me  wil- 
lingly to  wait  thy  time."  He  would  again 
cry,  "When  shall  the  time  come,  that  I 
shall  neither  sin  more,  nor  sorrow  more? 
Lord  keep  me  from  dishonouring  thy  name 
by  impatience.  Oh,  who  would  not,  even 
in  burning,  have  honourable  thoughts  of 
God!  Lord  thou  gavest  me  no  occasion  to 
have  hard  thoughts  of  thee.  Blessed  be 
God,  for  the  peace  of  mine  inward  man, 
when  my  outward  man  is  so  full  of  trouble. 
This  is  a  bitter  cup,  but  it  is  of  my  Father's 
mixing;  and  shall  I  not  then  drink  it?" 

Mrs.  Jean  Askew,  who  was  a  martyr 
in  king  Henry's  reign,  to  her  confession  in 
Newgate  thus  subscribed;  "Written  by  me 


THE  SICK.  131 

Jean  Askew,  that  neither  wisheth  death, 
nor  fcareth  its  might,  and  as  merry  as  one 
hound  towards  heaven."  When  the  chan- 
cellor sent  her  letters  to  the  stake,  offering 
her  the  king's  pardon,  if  she  would  recant; 
she  refused  to  look  upon  them,  and  gave 
this  answer:  "That  she  came  not  hither 
to  deny  her  Lord  and  Master.'' 

Mr.  James  Bainham,  when  he  was  at 
the  stake  in  the  midst  of  the  burning  fire, 
which  had  half  consumed  his  legs  and  arms, 
spake  these  words;  "0  ye  Papists!  behold 
ye  look  for  miracles,  and  here  now  ye  may 
see  a  miracle;  for  in  this  fire  I  feel  no  more 
pain,  than  if  I  were  in  a  bed  of  down;  it 
is  to  me  as  a  bed  of  roses." 

John  Lambert,  as  he  was  burning  in 
Smithfield,  and  his  legs  were  quite  con- 
sumed with  the  fire,  lifted  up  his  hands,  his 
fingers  flaming  like  torches,  but  his  heart 
abounding  with  comfort,  crying  out,  "none 
but  Christ,  none  but  Christ." 

Mr.  Robert  Glover,  a  little  before 
his  death,  had  lost  the  sense  of  God's  fa- 
vour, for  which  he  was  in  great  heaviness 
and  sorrow;  but  when  he  came  within  sight 
of  the  stake  at  which  he  was  to  suffer,  he 
was  on  a  sudden  so  filled  with  divine  com- 
fort, that  clapping  his  hands  together,  he 
cried  out  to  his  servant,  "He  is  come,  he 
is  come;"  and  so  died  most  cheerfully. 


132  COMPANION  FOR 

It  was  a  saying  of  Augustine,  ^'Boughs 
fall  off  trees,  and  stones  out  of  buildings; 
and  why  should  it  seem  strange  that  mortal 
men  die?" 

Mr.  John  Dodd  had  a  violent  fever, 
and  there  was  but  little  hope  of  his  life; 
yet  at  length  his  pliysician  coming  to  him, 
said,  "now  I  have  hope  of  your  recovery." 
To  whom  Mr.  Dodd  answered,  ^'  you  think 
to  comfort  me  with  this,  but  you  make  my 
heart  sad.  It  is  as  if  you  should  tell  one 
who  had  been  weather  beaten  at  sea,  and 
thinking  that  he  had  now  arrived  at  the 
haven  where  his  soul  longed  to  be,  that  he 
must  go  back  to  be  tossed  with  new  winds 
and  waves." 

He  would  often  say  in  his  last  sickness, 
"I  am  not  afraid  to  look  death  in  the  face. 
I  can  say  Death'where  is  thy  sting?  death 
cannot  hurt  me." 

He  used  to  say,  the  knowledge  of  two 
things  would  make  one  willing  to  die,  viz. 
"  What  heaven  is,  and  that  it  is  mine." 
"Yes,"  said  one,  "if  a  man  were  sure  of 
that."  To  whom  he  answered,  "truly 
assurance  is  to  be  had;  and  what  have  we 
been  doing  all  this  while?" 

Mr.  Dodd  once  visited  a  godly  minister 
on  his  death  bed  who  was  much  oppressed 
with  melancholy,  and  complained  to  him, 
saying,  "  0  Mr.  Dodd,  what  will  you  saj" 


THE  SICK.  133 

of  him  who  is  going  out  of  the  world,  and 
can  find  no  comfort?"  To  whom  Mr. 
Dodd  answered,  ''what  will  you  say  of  our 
Saviour  Christ,  who,  when  he  was  going 
out  of  the  world,  found  no  comfort,  but 
cried  out  My  God!  my  God!  why  hast  thou 
forsaken  me?"  He  said  of  afflictions, 
"  they  are  God's  portions  which  we  may 
sweeten  by  faith  and  faithful  prayer;  but 
we,  for  the  most  part,  make  them  bitter, 
putting  into  God's  cup,  the  evil  ingredients 
of  our  impatience  and  unbelief.  He  called 
death  the  friend  of  grace,  though  it  be  the 
enemy  of  nature;  for  whereas  the  word, 
sacraments  and  prayer  do  but  weaken  sin, 
death  kills  it."  He  used  to  say,  "a  man 
is  never  in  a  hard  condition,  unless  he  have 
a  hard  heart,  and  cannot  pray."  He  in- 
structed Christians  in  what  way  they  might 
avoid  great  and  lasting  affliction,  and  that 
was  by  looking  upon  the  things  that  are  not 
seen,  which  are  eternal,  2  Cor.  iv.  17,  18. 
For  what  can  be  great  to  him  who  counts 
the  world  nothing^  And  what  can  be  long 
to  him,  that  accounts  his  life  but  a  span  ? 
When  he  saw  a  Christian  look  sad,  he  would 
say  as  Jonadab  did  to  Amnon,  "Art  thou  a 
king's  son,  and  lookest  so  ill?"  And 
when  such  complained  to  him  of  their 
losses  and  crosses,  he  would  use  the  words 


134  COMPANION  FOR 

of  Ellphaz  to  Job,  "  Do  the  consolations  of 
God  seem  small  unto  you?  God  hath  taken 
from  you  your  children,  your  goods,  &c. 
but  he  hath  not  taken  from  you  himself,  his 
Christ,  nor  his  Spirit,  nor  heaven,  nor  eter- 
nal life." 

To  a  friend  of  his  that  rose  from  a  small 
to  a  great  estate,  he  sent  word,  "That  this 
was  as  if  he  should  go  out  of  a  boat  into  a 
ship;  but  he  ought  seriously  to  remember, 
that  whilst  he  was  in  this  world,  he  was 
but  upon  the  floating  sea." 

He  often  said,  "That  if  it  were  lawful 
to  envy  any,  he  would  envy  those  that  turn 
to  God  in  their  youth,  whereby  they  escape 
much  sin  and  sorrow,  and  are  like  Jacob, 
that  stole  the  blessing  betimes.  He  used 
to  compare  reproofs  given  in  a  passion,  to 
scalding  potions,  which  the  patient  could 
not  take  down:  in  reproofs  we  should  labour 
for  meekness  of  wisdom,  using  soft  words 
and  hard  arguments. 

He  was  a  very  popular  minister,  but  much 
persecuted.  Once  he  took  a  journey  to  see 
his  filth er-in -law,  Mr.  Greenham,  to  bemoan 
himself  to  him,  on  account  of  his  crosses 
and  hard  usage.  Mr.  Greenham  having 
heard  all  he  could  say,  answered  him  thus: 
"Son,  son,  when  affliction  lieth  heavy,  sin 
lieth  light."     Mr.  Dodd  used  often  to  bless 


THE  SICK.  135 

God  for  this  speech,  saying,  "If  Mr.  Green- 
ham  had  condoled  with  him  as  he  had  ex- 
pected, he  would  have  done  him  much 
hurt.^^  He  did  not  forget  this  saying  in  his 
old  age,  but  made  excellent  use  of  it  for 
himself  and  others. 

fficolampadius,  that  famous  divine  of 
Switzerland,  when  lying  on  his  death-bed, 
and  being  asked  whether  the  light  did  not 
offend  him?  answered,  pointing  to  his 
breast.  Hie  sat  lucis,  "Here  is  abundance 
of  light;"  meaning  of  comfort  and  joy. 
He  asked  one  of  his  friends,  What  news .'' 
His  friend  answered,  none.  Then,  said  he, 
I  will  tell  you  some  news;  I  shall  presently 
be  with  my  Lord  Christ. 

A  certain  godly  man  passing  through  his 
last  sickness  with  extraordinary  calmness  of 
conscience,  being  asked  by  some  of  his 
friends  about  it,  he  answered,  that  he  had 
stedfastly  fixed  his  heart  upon  that  sweet 
promise,  Isa.  xxvi.  3,  "Thou  wilt  keep 
him  in  perfect  peace  whose  mind  is  staid 
on  thee;  because  he  trusteth  in  thee." 
And  my  God,  said  he,  has  graciously  made 
it  fully  good  unto  my  soul. 

Mr.  Robert  Bolton,  minister  at  Brough- 
ton,  well  known  by  his  writings,  in  the 
time  of  his  last  sickness,  which  was  long 
and  sharp,  often  breathed  out  these  words: 


136  COMPANION  FOR 

"  Oh,  when  will  this  good  hour  come  ?  when 
shall  I  be  dissolved  ?  when  shall  I  be  with 
Christ."  Being  told,  that  to  be  dissolved 
was  indeed  better  for  him,  yet  it  would  be 
better  for  the  church  that  he  would  stay- 
here,  he  answered,  "  If  I  shall  find  favour 
in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord,  he  will  bring  me 
again,  and  show  me  both  it  and  his  habita- 
tion: but  if  otherwise,  lo  here  I  am,  let  him 
do  v/hat  seemeth  him  good  in  his  eyes." 
Being  asked  by  another,  if  he  could  not  be 
content  to  live,  if  it  pleased  God  ?  he  an- 
swered, "I  grant  that  life  is  a  great  blessing 
of  God,  neither  will  I  neglect  any  means 
that  may  preserve  it;  and  do  heartily  sub- 
mit to  God's  will:  but  of  the  two,  I  infinitely 
desire  more  to  be  dissolved  and  to  be  with 
Christ."  He  bade  all  that  came  to  see  him, 
make  sure  of  Christ  before  they  came  to 
die;  and  look  upon  the  world  now  as  a 
lump  of  vanity.  He  encouraged  the  min- 
isters that  came  to  him,  to  be  diligent  and 
courageous  in  the  work  of  the  Lord,  and 
not  to  faint  nor  droop  for  any  affliction  that 
should  arise  thereupon. 

When  he  found  himself  very  weak,  he 
called  for  his  wife  and  children.  He  de- 
sired her  to  bear  his  dissolution  which  was 
near  at  hand,  with  a  Christian  fortitude,  a 
thing  he  had  been  preparing  her  for,  during 


THE  SICK.  137 

the  space  of  twenty  years;  and  bade  her 
make  no  doubt  but  she  should  meet  him 
again  in  heaven.  He  exhorted  his  children 
to  remember  those  things  which  he  had  fre- 
quently told  them  before;  adding,  "That 
he  hoped  and  believed  that  none  of  them 
durst  think  of  meeting  him  at  that  dread 
tribunal  in  an  unregenerate  state.'^ 

Some  of  his  parish  coming  to  watch  with 
him,  it  was  asked,  that  as  by  his  doctrine  he 
had  discovered  to  them  the  exceeding  com- 
forts that  were  in  Christ,  so  he  would  now 
tell  them  what  he  felt  in  his  own  soul. 
"Alas,"  said  he,  "do  you  look  for  that  of  me 
now,  when  I  want  breath  and  strength  to 
speak  ?  I  have  told  you  enough  in  my 
ministry:  but  yet  to  satisfy  you,  I  am,  by 
the  wonderful  mercies  of  God,  as  full  of 
comfort  as  my  heart  can  hold ;  and  I  feel 
nothing  in  my  soul  but  Christ,  with  whom 
I  heartily  desire  to  be." 

When  the  pangs  of  death  were  upon 
him,  being  told  that  some  of  his  dear  friends 
were  about  him,  to  take  their  last  farewell, 
he  caused  himself  to  be  raised  up  in  his 
bed,  and  after  a  few  gaspings  for  breath,  he 
said,  "I  am  now  drawing  on  apace  to  my 
dissolution:  hold  out  faith  and  patience, 
your  work  will  speedily  be  at  an  end." 
And  then  shaking  them  all  by  the  hands, 


138  COMPANION  FOR 

he  prayed  heartily  and  particularly  for 
them,  and  desired  them  to  make  sure  of 
heaven,  and  to  bear  in  mind  what  he  had 
formerly  told  them  in  his  ministry,  pro- 
testing to  them,  that  the  doctrine  he  had 
preached  to  them  for  the  space  of  twenty 
years,  was  the  truth  of  God,  as  he  should 
answer  for  it  at  the  tribunal  of  Christ,  be- 
fore which  he  should  shortly  appear. 

When  he  was  struggling  with  death,  a 
very  dear  friend  taking  him  by  the  hand, 
asked  him  if  he  felt  not  much  pain  ? 
"Truly  no,^'  said  he,  "the  greatest  I  feel  is 
your  cold  hand.'^ 

Mr.  John  Holland,  a  godly  minister,  con- 
tinued his  usual  practice  of  expounding  the 
Scripture  in  his  family  to  the  last;  and  the 
day  before  his  death,  he  called  for  a  Bible, 
and  causing  another  to  read  the  18th  chap- 
ter of  Romans,  he  discoursed  upon  it,  verse 
by  verse;  but  on  a  sudden  he  said,  "  Oh 
stay  your  reading,  what  brightness  is  this  I 
see!  have  you  lighted  up  any  candle?"  A 
stand er  by  said,  no,  it  is  the  sunshine,  (for 
it  was  about  five  o'clock  in  a  clear  summer's 
evening).  ''Sunshine,'^  said  he,  ^'nay,  it 
is  my  Saviour's  sun-shine.  Now  farewell 
world;  welcome  heaven;  the  day-star  from  ' 
on  high  hath  visited  my  heart:  0  speak  it 
when  I  am  gone,  and  preach  it  at  my  fune- 


THE  SICK.  139 

ral:  God  dealeth  familiarly  with  man:  I 
feel  his  mercy,  I  see  his  majesty,  whether 
in  the  body  or  out  of  the  body,  I  cannot 
tell,  God  knoweth  ;  but  I  see  the  things  that 
arc  unutterable/'  And  in  this  rapture  he 
continued  till  he  died. 

I  knew  not  long  ago  an  eminently  godly 
man  G.  M.  that  fell  into  several  such  ex- 
traordinary raptures  sometime  before  his 
death,  such  as  his  bodily  strength  and  spirit 
were  not  able  to  support,  though  he  had  no 
sickness.  Sometimes  he  was  so  swallowed 
up  and  overcome  by  the  manifestations  of 
God's  love  to  his  soul,  that  his  words  could 
not  be  well  understood ;  his  natural  colour, 
heat,  and  strength  would  go  oiT,  that  all 
about  him  would  conclude  him  to  be  dying; 
but  when  he  was  able  to  get  words  uttered, 
they  were  so  heavenly  and  ravishing,  con- 
cerning the  love  of  Christ,  and  freedom  of 
grace,  that  by-standers  could  not  hear  him 
without  weeping.  Sometimes  ministers, 
when  they  came  to  visit  him,  and  found 
him  in  these  raptures,  were  forced  to  turn 
all  their  prayers  in  his  behalf  into  praises; 
except  some  petitions  that  they  would  put 
up  to  God,  <*That  he  might  graciously 
spare  and  be  tender  of  his  weak  body,  and 
enable  him  to  bear  that  load  of  loving-kind- 
ness God  was  pleased  to  let  out  to  him, 


140  COMPANION  FOR 

and  which  his  present  bodily  strength  was 
not  sufficient  for."  Yea,  they  cry,  "  Lord, 
if  it  be  thy  will,  hold  thy  hand,  for  he  is 
but  a  clay  vessel;  this  new  wine  will  burst 
the  old  bottle  ;  preserve  him  in  life  as  a 
monument  of  the  rich  grace  of  God,  for  the 
conviction  of  Atheists  and  carnal  people, 
and  for  the  confirmation  of  the  faith  of  the 
children  of  God."  When  his  ecstacy 
somewhat  abated,  so  that  he  attained  a  plea- 
sant calmness  of  thought  and  freedom  of 
speech,  he  would  discourse  of  the  myste- 
ries of  religion,  the  electing  love  of  God, 
the  freedom  of  grace,  the  unsearchable 
riches  of  Christ,  and  the  glorious  contri- 
vance of  redemption  through  his  death 
and  sacrifice ;  I  say  he  would  talk  of  these 
things  more  like  an  angel  than  a  man. 
For  such  was  his  Jheavenly  eloquence, 
fluency  of  words,  and  facility  of  speaking 
upon  these  subjects,  which  otherwise  was 
not  natural  to  him,  that  those  who  came  to 
see  him,  were  exceedingly  surprised  and 
astonished  to  hear  him.  His  body  gra- 
dually weakened  under  these  raptures  of 
spirit,  and  he  longed  much  to  be  out  of  the 
world,  because  he  thought  he  could  be  so 
little  useful  in  it,  for  advancing  God's  hon- 
our. He  reckoned  himself  bound  to  im- 
prove the  short  time  he  was  likely  to  have 


THE  SICK.  141 

here,  in  commending  Christ  and  religion 
to  all  that  he  had  access  to,  and  also  to 
admonish  them  of  any  thing  he  knew  amiss 
in  them,  which  he  did  most  convincingly. 
He  seemed  to  have  sin  wonderfully  morti- 
tified ;  for  he  complained  of  no  other  heart 
plague  but  self,  and  it  was  his  great  exer- 
cise to  get  self  wholly  subdued;  he  pur- 
sued it  through  many  of  its  windings  and 
lurking  places,  and  after  all  he  would  regret 
his  little  success  against  it.  For,  said  he, 
when  I  am  in  my  most  elevated  frames, 
and  admitted  to  the  nearest  access  to  my 
Redeemer,  that  subtle  enemy,  self,  will 
enter  in  with  me,  and  offer  to  pull  the 
crown  off  his  head  before  my  face. 

Once,  after  hearing  a  sermon  on  Psal. 
Ixxxv.  8,  "I  will  hear  what  God  the  Lord 
will  speak,"  he  broke  out  in  a  rapturous 
discourse  to  one  that  came  to  see  him, 
blessing  God  that  he  had  spoken  to  him  in 
that  sermon.  "And  0,"  said  he,  "what  am 
I,  that  the  Rock  of  Israel  should  have  spo- 
ken to  me,  assuring  me  that  all  my  sins  are 
forgiven!  What  am  I,  a  vile  worm,  that 
he  should  be  so  kind  and  condescending,  as 
to  discover  Christ  and  heaven  in  such  a 
manner  to  me,  and  assure  me  that  I  shall 
shortly  be  with  him !  Admirable  free  grace ! 

Dr.  Harris,  head  of  Trinity  college  in 
n2 


142  COMPANION  roR 

Oxford,  in  his  last  sickness,  used  to  exhort 
all  about  him  to  get  faith  above  all  things. 
^'  It  is/'  said  he,  "  your  victory,  your  peace, 
your  life,  your  crown,  and  your  chiefest 
piece  of  spiritual  armour.  Howbeit,  get 
on  all  other  pieces,  and  go  forth  in  the 
Lord's  might:  stand  to  the  fight,  and  the 
issue  shall  be  glorious.  Only  forget  not  to 
call  in  the  help  of  your  General.  Do  all 
from  him  and  under  him."  On  the  Lord's 
day  he  would  not  have  any  kept  from  the 
ordinances  upon  his  account;  and  when 
they  returned  from  the  sermons,  he  would 
say  to  them,  "Come,  what  have  you  for 
me?"  And  when  they  gave  him  an  ac- 
count of  what  they  had  heard,  he  would 
resume  the  heads  thereof,  and  say,  "0  what 
excellent  truths  are  these!  Lay  them  up 
carefully,  for  you  will  have  need  of  them." 
When  friends  came  to  visit  him,  he  would 
say,  '^I  cannot  speak,  but  I  can  hear." 
Being  asked,  where  his  comfort  lay  ?  He 
answered,  "  In  Christ,  and  in  the  free  grace 
of  God." 

One  telling  him,  that  he  might  take  much 
comfort  in  his  labours,  and  the  good  he  had 
done ;  his  answer  was,  "All  is  nothing  with- 
out a  Saviour;  without  him  my  best  works 
would  condemn  me.  Oh,  I  am  ashamed  of 
them,  they  are  so  mixed  with  sin.     I  have 


THE  SICK.  143 

done  nothing  for  God  as  I  ought.  Oh,  loss 
of  time  sits  very  heavy  upon  my  spirit. 
Work,  work  apace;  assure  yourselves  no- 
thing will  more  trouble  you  when  you  come 
to  die,  than  that  you  have  done  no  more  for 
God,  who  hath  done  so  much  for  you. 

Sometimes  he  used  thus  to  breathe  out 
himself,  ^'I  never  in  all  my  life  saw  the 
worth  of  Christ,  nor  tasted  the  sweetness 
of  God's  love  in  that  measure  as  I  now  do!^' 
Being  asked  by  ministers,  what  they  should 
chiefly  request  for  him?  ^^Do  not  only 
pray  for  me,  but  praise  God  that  he  sup- 
ports me,  and  keeps  off  Satan  from  me  in 
my  weakness;  beg  that  I  may  hold  out.  I 
am  now  a  good  way  home,  near  the  shore, 
I  leave  you  tossing  on  the  sea:  Oh,  it  is  a 
good  time  to  die  in.'' 

In  all  the  will  which  he  made,  he  took 
care  this  legacy  should  be  inserted;  "Item, 
I  bequeath  to  all  my  children,  and  to  their 
children's  children,  to  each  of  them  a  Bible, 
with  this  inscription.  None  but  Christ.'^ 
He  used  to  say,  ^^It  is  a  hard  thing  for  a 
saint  to  forgive  himself  some  faults  when 
God  has  forgiven  them.'^ 

Mr.  Cooper,  when  dying  said,  "I  saw 
not  my  children  when  they  were  in  the 
womb,  yet  there  the  Lord  fed  them  with- 
out my  care  or  knowledge.     I  shall  not  see 


144  COMPANION  FOR 

them  when  I  go  out  of  the  body,  yet  shall 
they  not  want  a  father."  Again,  "  death  is 
soniewhat  dreary,  and  the  stream  of  that 
Jordan  between  us  and  our  Canaan  runs 
furiously,  but  they  stand  still  when  the  ark 
comes." 

The  Reverend  Mr.  Halyburton,  that 
shining  light  in  St.  Andrews,  when  dying, 
commended  Christ  and  godliness  with  great 
earnestness  to  all  that  came  to  see  him. 
He  exhorted  his  brethren  to  diligence  in 
the  ministry.  "It  was  the  delight  of  my 
heart  (said  he)  to  preach  the  gospel:  I  de- 
sired to  decrease,  that  the  bridegroom  might 
increase,  and  to  be  nothing,  that  he  might 
be  all.  I  repent  that  I  did  not  do  more  for 
him.  0  that  I  had  the  tongues  of  men  and 
angels,  to  praise  him!"  When  he  was  ad- 
vised to  lie  quiet,  he  said,  "  Whereon  should 
a  man  bestow  his  last  breath,  but  in  com- 
mending the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  God  cloth- 
ed in  our  nature,  dying  for  our  sins?" 

He  exhorted  some  ministers  that  came  to 
see  him,  to  faithfulness.  "  As  for  the  work 
of  the  ministry  (said  he)  it  was  my  deliber- 
ate choice ;  were  my  days  lengthened  out 
much  more,  and  days  as  troublesome  as 
they  are  like  to  be,  I  would  rather  be  a  con- 
temned minister  of  God,  than  the  greatest 
prince  on  earth."     He  said,  when  taking 


t 
THE  SICK.  145 


farewell  of  his  wife,  children  and  servants, 
"  Here  is  a  demonstration  of  the  reality  of 
religion,  that  I,  a  poor,  weak,  timorous  man, 
as  much  afraid  of  death  as  any,  am  now  en- 
abled, by  the  power  of  grace,  composedly 
and  with  joy,  to  look  death  in  the  face,  I 
dare  look  it  in  the  face  in  its  most  ghastly 
shape,  and  hope  within  a  little  to  have  the 
victory.  I  cannot  but  commend  the  Lord 
Jesus.  As  far  as  my  word  will  go,  I  must 
proclaim  it,  he  is  the  best  master  that  ever  I 
saw."  To  his  son  who  was  a  child,  he  said, 
''  If  I  had  as  many  sons  as  there  are  hairs  in 
your  head,  I  would  bestow  them  all  on  God." 
— To  some  present  he  said,  "  0  Sirs,  I  dread 
mightily  that  a  rational  sort  of  religion 
is  coming  in  among  us;  I  mean  by  it,  a  re- 
ligion that  consists  in  a  bare  attendance  on 
outward  duties  and  ordinances,  without  the 
power  of  godliness;  and  thence  people  shall 
fall  into  a  way  of  serving  God,  which  is 
mere  Deism,  having  no  relation  to  Christ 
Jesus  and  the  Spirit  of  God." 

Mr.  Philip  Henry,  when  dying,  his  pains 
being  very  sharp,  said  to  his  neighbours 
who  came  to  see  him,  0  make  sure  work 
for  your  souls,  by  getting  an  interest  in 
Christ  while  you  are  in  health,  for  if  I  had 
that  work  to  do  now,  what  would  become  of 
me.     A  little  before  his  last  illness  he  wrote 


146  COMPANION  FOR 

to  a  reverend  brother,  "Methinks  it  .is 
strange,  that  it  should  be  your  lot  and  mine, 
to  abide  so  long  on  earth  by  the  stuff,  when ' 
so  many  of  our  friends  are  dividing  the 
spoil  above;  but  God  will  have  it  so ;  and 
to  be  willing  to  live  in  obedience  to  his 
holy  will,  is  as  true  an  act  of  grace  as  to  be 
willing  to  die  when 'he  calls." 

Mr.  Matthew  Henry,  whose  death  was 
somewhat  sudden,  said  a  little  before  it, 
to  some  about  him,  "  You  have  been  used 
to  take  notice  of  the  sayings  of  dying  men; 
this  is  mine,  *'That  a  life  spent  in  the  ser- 
vice of  God,  and  communion  with  him,  is 
the  most  comfortable  and  pleasant  life  that 
any  one  can  live  in  this  world." 

Luther,  when  he  fell  sick,  made  his  will, 
in  which  he  bequeathed  his  detestation  of 
Popery  to  his  friends,  and  to  the  pastors  of 
the  church,  having  before  made  this  verse, 

Pestis  eram  vivus,  moriens  ero  mors  tua  Papa. 

In  his  last  will,  he  says,  "  0  Lord  God,  I 
thank  thee  that  thou  wouldst  have  me  live  a 
poor  and  indigent  person  upon  earth.  I 
have  neither  house  nor  lands,  nor  posses- 
sions, nor  money,  to  leave.  Thou,  Lord, 
hast  given  me  wife  and  children;  them, 
Lord,  I  give  back  unto  thee.     Nourish,  in- 


THE  SICK.  147 

struct,  and  keep  them.  0  thou  the  Father 
of  orphans,  and  judge  of  the  widows,  as 
thou  hast  done  to  me  so  do  to  them." 

In  his  last  prayer,  Feb.  18th,  1546  he  has 
these  words:  "I  pray  God  to  preserve  his 
gospel  among  us;  for  the  Pope,  and  the 
Council  of  Trent,  have  grievous  things  in 
hand.  0  heavenly  father,  I  give  thee 
thanks  that  thou  hast  revealed  to  me  thy 
son  Jesus  Christ,  whom  I  believe,  whom  I 
possess,  whom  I  glorify,  and  whom  the  Pope 
and  the  root  of  the  wicked,  persecute  and 
dishonour."  Mr.  Fox  says  of  Luther, 
"  That  a  poor  friar  should  be  able  to  stand 
against  the  Pope  was  a  great  miracle;  that 
he  should  prevail  against  the  Pope  was-  a 
greater;  and  after  all  to  die  in  peace,  hav- 
ing so  many  enemies,  was  the  greatest  of 
all." 

Mr.  Joseph  Allein,  a  most  laborious  min- 
ister, being  deprived  of  the  use  of  his  arms 
and  legs  before  his  death,  was  asked  by  a 
friend,  how  he  could  be  so  well  contented 
to  lie  so  long  in  that  condition?  He  an- 
swered, "What!  is  God  my  Father,  Jesus 
Christ  my  Saviour,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  my 
sanctifier  and  comforter;  and  shall  I  not  be 
content  without  limbs  and  health?  He  is 
an  unreasonable  wretch  that  cannot  be  con- 


148  COMPANION  FOR 

tent  with  a  God,  though  he  had  nothing 
else." 

He  would  say  to  his  friends  who  came  to 
see  him,  ^^  It  is  a  shame  for  a  believer  to  be 
cast  down  under  afflictions,  that  hath  so 
many  glorious  privileges,  justification,  adop- 
tion, sanctification,  and  eternal  glory.  We 
shall  be  as  the  angels  of  God  in  a  little 
while;  nay,  to  say  the  truth,  believers  are, 
as  it  were,  little  angels  already,  that  live  in 
the  power  of  faith.  0  my  friends,  live  like 
believers,  trample  this  dirty  world  under 
your  feet;  be  not  taken  with  its  comforts, 
nor  disquieted  with  its  crosses,  you  will  be 
gone  out  of  it  shortly.'^ 

When  he  looked  on  his  weak  consumed 
hands,  he  would  say,  '^These  shall  be  chang- 
ed: this  vile  body  shall  be  made  like  to 
Christ's  glorious  body.  0  what  a  glorious 
day  will  the  day  of  resurrection  be!  Me- 
thinks  I  see  it  by  faith;  how  will  the  saints 
lift  up  their  heads,  and  rejoice!  and  how  sad- 
ly will  the  wicked  world  look  then!  0 
come  let  us  make  haste,  our  Lord  will  come 
shortly!  If  we  long  to  be  in  heaven,  let  us 
hasten  with  our  work:  for  when  that  is  done, 
away  we  shall  be  borne.  0  this  vain,  and 
foolish  world!  I  wonder  how  reasonable 
creatures  can  so  doat  upon  it !  What  is  there 
in  it  worth  living  for !     I  care  not  to  be  in  it 


COMPANION  FOR  149 

longer  than  while  my  Master  has  either 
doing  or  suffering  work  for  me:  were  that 
done,  farewell  to  earth.'' 

Mr.  John  Welsh,  minister  of  the  Gospel 
at  Ayr,  when  prisoner  in  the  castle  of 
Blackness,  and  in  the  view  of  death  (being 
condemned  to  it,  for  maintaining  the  liber- 
ties of  the  church,  though  afterwards  the 
sentence  was  changed  to  banishment)  in  a 
letter  to  his  wife  writes  thus, 

*'I  long  to  eat  of  that  tree  which  is  plant- 
ed in  the  midst  of  the  paradise  of  God,  and 
to  drink  of  the  pure  river  clear  as  crystal, 
that  runs  through  the  streets  of  the  New 
Jerusalem.  I  long  to  be  refreshed  with  the 
souls  of  them  that  are  under  the  altar,  who 
were  slain  for  the  word  of  God,  and  the 
testimony  that  they  held:  and  to  have  these 
long  white  robes  given  me,  that  I  may  walk 
in  white  raiment  with  those  glorious  saints 
who  have  washed  their  garments,  and  made 
them  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  Why 
should  I  think  it  a  strange  thing  to  be  re- 
moved from  this  place,  to  that  where  my 
hope,  my  joy,  my  crown,  my  elder  Brother, 
my  Head,  my  Father,  my  Comforter,  and 
all  the  glorious  saints  are,  and  where  the 
song  of  Moses  and  the  Lamb  is  sung  joy- 
fully; where  we  shall  not  be  compelled  to 
sit  by  the  rivers  of  Babylon,  and  hang  up 


150  COMPANION  FOK 

our  harps  on  the  willow  trees,  but  shall  take 
them  up,  and  sing  the  new  hallelujah, 
Blessing,  honour,  glory,  and  power,  to  Him 
that  sits  upon  the  throne,  and  to  the  Lamb, 
for  ever  and  ever?  What  is  there  under 
the  old  vault  of  the  heavens,  and  in  this 
old  worn  earth,  which  is  groaning  under 
the  bondage  of  corruption,  that  should 
make  me  desire  to  remain  here?  I  expect 
that  new  heaven  and  new  earth,  wherein 
righteousness  dwelleth,  wherein  I  shall  rest 
for  evermore.  I  look  to  get  entry  to  the 
New  Jerusalem  at  one  of  the  twelve  gates, 
whereupon  are  written  the  names  of  the 
twelve  tribes  of  Israel.  I  know  that  Jesus 
Christ  hath  prepared  them  for  me.  Why 
may  I  not  then,  with  boldness  in  his  blood, 
step  into  that  glory,  where  my  head  and 
Lord  has  gone  before  me  ?  Jesus  Christ  is 
the  door  and  the  porter;  who  then  shall 
hold  me  out.  0  thou  fairest  among  the 
children  of  men,  the  delight  of  mankind, 
the  light  of  the  Gentiles,  the  glory  of  the 
Jews,  the  life  of  the  dead,  the  joy  of  angels 
and  saints,  my  soul  panteth  to  be  with  thee. 
I  refuse  not  to  die  with  thee,  that  I  may 
live  with  thee;  I  refuse  not  to  suffer  with 
thee,  that  I  may  rejoice  with  thee.  0  when 
shall  I  be  filled  with  his  love!  Surely  if  a 
man  knew  how  precious  it   is,  he  would 


THE  SICK.  151 

count  all  things  but  dross  and  dung  to  gain 
it.  I  long  for  the  scaffold,  or  that  axe,  or 
that  cord,  that  might  be  to  me  the  last  step 
of  this  wearisome  journey,  to  go  to  thee, 
my  Lord.  Who  am  I,  that  he  should  first 
have  called  me,  and  then  constitute  me  a 
minister  of  the  glad  tidings  of  the  Gopel  of 
salvation  these  many  years,  and  now  last  of 
all  to  be  a  sufferer  for  thy  cause  and  king- 
dom? These  two  points,  1.  That  Christ 
is  the  head  of  the  Church :  2.  That  she  is 
free  in  her  government  from  all  other  juris- 
diction, except  Christ;  yea,  as  free  as  any 
kingdom  under  heaven,  not  only  to  convo- 
cate,  hold,  and  keep  her  meetings  and  as- 
semblies, but  also  to  judge  of  all  her  affairs 
amongst  her  members  and  subjects;  these 
are  the  cause  of  our  sufferings.  I  would 
be  most  glad  to  be  offered  up  a  sacrifice  for 
so  glorious  a  truth:  but,  alas!  I  fear  that 
my  sins,  and  the  abuse  of  so  glorious  things 
as  I  have  found,  deprive  me  of  so  fair  a 
crown:  yet  my  Lord  doth  know,  if  he 
.would  call  me  to  it,  and  strengthen  me  in 
it,  it  would  be  to  me  the  most  glorious  day, 
and  gladest  hour  I  ever  saw  in  my  life;  but 
I  am  in  his  hands,  to  do  with  me  whatso- 
ever shall  please  him." 

This  eminent  saint  spent  much    of  his 
time  in  the  mount  of  prayer  and  wrestling 


152  COMPANION  FOR 

with  God;  was  admitted  to  very  inti- 
mate nearness  with  him,  and  had  many  se- 
cret things  revealed  to  him  from  God.  He 
used  to  say,  ^^he  wondered  how  a  Christian 
could  lie  in  bed  all  night,  without  rising  to 
spend  some  time  in  prayer  and  praise.'^ 

In  his  last  illness  he  had  a  great  weakness 
in  his  knees,  caused  by  his  continual  kneel- 
ing at  prayer:  but  when,  in  his  weakness, 
he  was  desired  to  remit  somewhat  of  his 
former  laboriousness,  his  answer  was,  "  he 
had  his  life  of  God,  and  therefore  it  should 
be  spent  for  hirn-'^  During  his  sickness  he 
was  so  filled  with  the  sensible  enjoyment  of 
God,  that  he  was  sometimes  overheard  in 
prayer  to  utter  these  words;  ^^Lord,  hold 
thy  hand,  it  is  enough,  thy  servant  is  a  clay 
vessel,  and  can  hold  no  more.^' 

Mr.  Christopher  Love,  minister  of  Lau- 
rence-Jury in  London,  was  beheaded  on 
Tower  hill,  August  22,  1651,  in  time  of 
Cromwell's  usurpation,  and  for  suspected 
plotting  against  his  government;  his  words 
on  the  scaffold  were  most  pathetic  and. 
weighty.  "Although,"  said  he,  "there  be 
but  little  between  me  and  death;  yet  this 
bears  up  my  heart,  there  is  but  little  be- 
tween me  and  heaven.  It  comforted  Dr. 
Taylor  the  martyr,  when  he  was  going  to 
execution,  that  there  was  but  two  stiles  be- 


THE  SICK.  153 

tween  him  and  his  Father's  house:  there  is 
a  lesser  way  between  me  and  my  Father's 
house,  but  two  steps  between  me  and  glory. 
It  is  but  lying  down  upon  that  block,  and  I 
shall  ascend  upon  a  throne.  I  am  this  day 
sailing  towards  the  ocean  of  eternity, 
through  a  rough  passage,  to  my  haven  of 
rest,  through  a  red  sea  to  the  promised  land. 
Methinks  I  hear  God  say  to  me,  as  he  said 
to  Moses,  Go  up  to  mount  Nebo,  and  die 
there;  so  to  me,  Go  up  to  Tower  hill  and 
die  there.  Isaac  said  of  himself,  that  he 
was  old,  and  yet  he  knew  not  the  day  of 
his  death:  but  I  cannot  say  so.  I  am  young, 
and  yet  I  know  the  day  of  my  death;  and 
I  know  the  kind  of  my  death,  and  I  know 
the  place  of  my  death  also.  I  am  put  to 
such  a  kind  of  death  as  two  famous  preach- 
ers of  the  Gospel  were  put  to  before  me ; 
John  the  Baptist,  and  Paul  the  apostle,  they 
were  both  beheaded.  I  read  also  in  Rev. 
XX.  4,  '^The  saints  were  beheaded  for  the 
word  of  God,  and  the  testimony  of  Jesus." 
But  herein  is  the  disadvantage  which  I  lie 
under  in  the  thoughts  of  many ;  they  judge 
that  I  suffer,  not  for  the  word  of  God,  or 
for  conscience,  but  for  meddling  with  state 
matters.  To  this  I  shall  briefly  say,  that  it 
is  an  old  trick  of  Satan,  to  impute  the  cause 
of  God's  people's  sufferings,  to  be  contrive- 
o  2 


154  COMPANION  FOR 

ments  against  the  state,  when,  in  truth, 
it  is  their  religion  and  conscience  they 
are  persecuted  for.  The  rulers  of  Israel 
would  have  put  Jeremiah  to  death  upon 
a  civil  account,  though  indeed  it  was  only 
the  truth  of  his  prophesy  that  made  the 
rulers  angry  with  him:  and  yet  upon  a  civil 
account,  they  pretend  he  must  die,  because 
he  fell  away  to  the  Chaldeans,  and  would 
have  brought  in  foreign  forces  to  invade 
them.  The  same  thing  is  laid  to  my  charge, 
of  which  I  am  as  innocent  as  Jeremiah  was. 
So  Paul,  though  he  did  but  preach  Jesus 
Christ,  yet  his  enemies  would  have  had 
him  put  to  death,  under  pretence  that  he 
was  a  mover  of  sedition.  Upon  a  civil 
account,  my  life  is  pretended  to  be  taken 
away;  whereas  it  is  because  I  pursue  my 
covenant,  and  will  not  prostitute  my  prin- 
ciples and  conscience  to  the  ambition  and 
lusts  of  men.  I  had  rather  die  a  covenant- 
keeper,  than  live  a  covenant-breaker.  Be- 
loved, I  am  this  day  making  a  double  ex- 
change: I  am  changing  a  pulpit  for  a  scaf- 
fold, and  a  scaffold  for  a  throne;  and  I 
might  add  a  third,  I  am  changing  the  pre- 
sence of  this  numerous  multitude  on  Tower 
hill,  for  the  innumerable  company  of  saints 
and  angels  in  heaven,  the  holy  hill  of 
Zion;  and  I  am  changing  a  guard  of  sol- 


THE  SICK.  155 

diers  for  a  guard  of  angels,  which  will  re- 
ceive me  and  carry  me  to  Abraham's  bo- 
som. This  scaffold  is  the  best  pulpit  that  I 
ever  preached  in:  in  my  church  pulpit, 
God  through  his  grace  made  me  an  instru- 
ment to  bring  others  to  heaven,  "but  in 
this  pulpit  he  will  bring  me  to  heaven." 
Afterwards  he  said,  ^*  Though  my  blood  be 
not  the  blood  of  the  nobles,  yet  it  is  Chris- 
tian blood,  minister's  blood,  yea  more,  it  is 
also  innocent  blood.  I  magnify  the  riches 
of  God's  mercy  and  grace  towards  me,  that 
I,  who  was  born  in  Wales,  an  obscure  coun- 
try, and  of  obscure  parents,  should  be  singled 
out  to  honourable  suffering.  For  the  first 
fourteen  years  of  my  life  I  never  heard  a 
sermon  preached;  yet  in  the  fifteenth  year 
of  my  life  it  pleased  God  to  convert  me. 
Blessed  be  God,  who  not  only  made  me  a 
Christian  but  also  a  minister,  judging  me 
faithful  and  putting  me  into  the  ministry, 
which  is  my  glory.  I  had  rather  be  a 
preacher  in  the  pulpit,  than  a  prince  upon  a 
throne;  I  had  rather  be  an  instrument  to 
bring  souls  to  heaven,  than  that  all  nations 
should  bring  tribute  to  me.  Formerly, 
said  he,  I  have  been  under  a  spirit  of  bon- 
dage; yea,  sometimes  I  have  had  more  fear 
in  drawing  out  a  tooth,  than  now  I  have  for 
cutting  off  my  head.     When  fear  was  upon 


156  COMPANION  FOR 

me,  death  was  not  near;  now  death  is  near 
me,  my  fear  has  vanished.  I  am  comforted 
in  this,  though  men  kill  me,  they  cannot 
damn  me;  though  they  thrust  me  out  of 
world,  yet  they  cannot  shut  me  out  of  hea- 
ven. When  I  have  shed  my  blood,  I  ex- 
pect the  full  declaration  of  the  remission  of 
sins  through  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ.  I 
am  going  to  my  long  home,  and  ye  to  your 
short  homes;  but  I  shall  be  at  my  home 
before  ye  be  at  yours."  He  prayed  that 
seeing  "  he  was  called  to  do  the  work  he 
never  did,  he  might  have  the  strength  he 
never  had." 

Mrs.  Joyce  Lewis,  being  condemned  to  be 
burnt  for  the  Protestant  religion  in  Queen 
Mary^s  reign,  when  she  heard  that  the  writ 
for  her  execution  was  come,  said  to  her 
friends,  "as  for  death,  I  fear  it  not;  for 
when  I  behold  the  amiable  countenance  of 
Jesus  Christ  my  dear  Saviour,  the  ugly  face 
of  death  does  not  much  trouble  me." 

Bullinger  of  Zurich,  in  his  sickness,  said 
to  his  friends,  "  If  the  Lord  will  make  any 
further  use  of  me  and  my  ministry  in  his 
church,  I  willingly  obey  him;  but  if  he 
please  (as  I  much  desire)  to  take  me  out  of 
this  miserable  life,  I  shall  exceedingly  re- 
joice, that  he  pleases  to  take  me  out  of  this 
corrupt  and  wretched  age,  to  go  to  my  sa- 


THE  SICK.  157 

viour  Christ.  For  (said  he)  if  Socrates  was 
glad  when  his  death  approached,  because 
he  thought  he  should  go  to  Homer,  Hesiod, 
and  other  learned  men,  whom  he  expected 
to  meet  with  in  the  other  world ;  how  much 
more  do  I  joy,  who  am  sure  that  I  shall  see 
my  saviour  .Tesus  Christ,  as  also  the  saints, 
patriarchs,  prophets,  apostles,  and  all  the 
holy  men  who  have  lived  from  the  begin- 
ning of  the  world?  Now  when  I  am  sure 
to  see  them,  and  to  partake  of  their  joys, 
why  should  I  not  willingly  die,  to  enjoy 
their  perpetual  society  and  glory?" 

Mr.  Theodore  Beza,  a  famous  pastor  in 
Geneva,  when  he  apprehended  the  approach 
of  death,  revised  his  will;  and  so  relieving 
himself  of  all  worldly  thoughts,  wholly  be- 
took himself  to  expect  the  time  of  his  de- 
parture, which  he  had  much  longed  for. 
He  often  used  the  apostles  saying,  "  We  are 
his  workm^anship,  created  in  Christ  Jesus 
unto  good  works."  And  that  of  Augustine, 
Dorriine,  quod  caepisti  perjice,  ne  inportu 
naufragium  accidat.  "  Lord  perfect  that 
which  thou  hast  begun,  that  I  suffer  not 
shipwreck  in  the  haven."  And  that  saying 
of  Barnard,  DoTnine,  sequeraur  te,  per  te, 
adte.  Te  qui  averitas;  Per  te,  quia  via; 
Ad  te,  quia  vita.  "  Lord,  we  will  follow 
thee,  by  thee,  to  thee.     Thee,  because  thou 


158  COMPANION  FOR 

art  the  truth;  by  thee,  because  thou  art  the 
way;  to  thee,  because  thou  art  the  life." 
■  Mr.  John  Bradford,  a  minister  and  mar- 
tyr in  Queen  Mary's  reign,  when  the  keep- 
er told  him  that  the  next  day  he  was  to 
be  burnt  in  Smithfield,  put  off  his  cap, 
and  lifting  up  his  eyes  to  heaven,  said,  I 
thank  God  for  it,  it  comes  not  now  to  me  on 
a  sudden,  but  as  a  thing  waited  for  every 
day  and  hour;  the  Lord  make  me  worthy 
thereof."  One  Cresswell,  offering  to  inter- 
pose for  him,  and  desiring  to  know  what  his 
request  was,  he  said,  "  I  have  no  request  to 
make;  if  the  queen  give  me  my  life  I  will 
thank  her;  if  she  will  banish  me  I  will 
thank  her;  if  she  burn  me  I  will  thank  her; 
if  she  will  condemn  me  to  perpetual  im- 
prisonment I  will  thank  her."  The  Chan- 
cellor pressing  him  to  do  as  others  had  done, 
in  hopes  of  the  queen's  mercy;  he  said, 
"  My  lord,  I  desire  mercy  with  God's  mer- 
cy, that  is,  without  doing  or  saying  any 
thing  against  God  and  his  truth.  But  mer- 
cy with  God's  wrath,  God  keep  me  from. 
God's  mercy  (added  he)  I  desire,  and  also 
would  be  glad  of  the  Queen's  favour,  to  live 
as  a  subject  without  a  clog  on  conscience: 
but  otherwise  the  Lord's  mercy  is  better  to 
me  than  life.      Life  in  his  displeasure  is 


THE  SICK.  159 

worse  than  death,  and  death  with  his  favour 
is  true  life.'' 

In  one  of  his  meditations,  after  confessing 
sin,  he  saith,  "  0  what  now  may  we  do  ! 
despair?  no,  for  thou  art  God,  and  there- 
fore good;  thou  art  merciful,  and  therefore 
thou  forgivest  sin:  with  thee  there  is  mercy 
and  propitiation,  and  therefore  thou  art 
worshipped.  "When  Adam  sinned,  thou 
gavest  him  mercy  before  he  desired  it;  and 
wilt  thou  deny  us  mercy,  who  now  desire 
the  same;  Adam  excused  his  fault,  and  ac- 
cused thee:  but  we  accuse  ourselves,  and 
excuse  thee:  and  shall  we  be  sent  empty 
away?  How  often  in  the  wilderness  didst 
thou  spare  Israel,  and  defer  thy  plagues  at 
the  request  of  Moses,  when  the  people  them- 
selves made  no  petition  to  thee  ?  Now  we 
do  not  only  make  our  petitions  to  thee,  but 
also  have  a  Mediator,  far  above  Moses,  to 
appear  for  us,  even  Jesus  Christ  thine  own 
Son;  and  shall  we  (dear  Lord)  depart 
ashamed?  0  merciful  Lord,  for  thine  own 
glory,  suffer  not  the  enemy  of  thy  Son  Christ, 
the  Romish  Antichrist,  thus  wretchedly  to 
delude  and  draw  from  thee,  our  poor  breth- 
ren, for  whom  thy  dear  Son  once  died,  &c. 
Suffer  him  not  to  seduce  the  simple  sort 
with  liis  fond  opinion,  that  his  false  gods, 
his  blind,  mumbling,   feigned  religion,  or 


160  COMPANION  FOR 

his  foolish  superstition,  give  him  such  con- 
quests, such  victories,  and  such  triumphs 
over  us.  But,  0  Lord,  this  is  thy  righte- 
ous judgment,  to  punish  us  with  the  tyran- 
nical yoke  of  blindness,  because  we  have 
cast  a  way  from  us  the  sweet  yoke  of  the 
wholesome  words  of  thy  Son  our  Saviour." 
Mr.  Edward  Deering,  a  little  before  his 
death,  said  to  his  friends, "  As  for  my  death, 
I  bless  God  I  feel  and  find  so  much  inward 
joy,  and  comfort  to  my  soul,  that  if  I  were 
put  to  my  choice,  whether  I  would  die  or 
live,  I  would  a  thousand  times  rather  choose 
death  than  life,  if  it  may  stand  with  the 
holy  will  of  God." 

Mr.  Robert  Rollock,  when  dying,  pray- 
ed thus,  "  Lord,  I  have  hitherto  seen  but 
darkly  in  the  glass  of  thy  word :  now 
grant  that  I  may  enjoy  the  eternal  fruition 
of  thy  countenance,  which  I  have  so  much 
desired  and  longed  for.  Haste,  Lord,  and 
do  not  tarry;  I  am  weary  both  of  nights 
and  days;  come  Lord  Jesus,  that  I  may 
come  to  thee.  Break  these  eye-strings,  and 
give  me  others:  I  desire  to  be  dissolved, 
and  to  be  with  thee;  haste.  Lord  Jesus, 
and  defer  no  longer.  Go  forth,  my  weak 
life,  and  let  a  better  succeed.  0  Lord 
Jesus,  thrust  thy  hand  into  my  body,  and 
take  my  soul  to  thyself.     0  my  sweet  Lord, 


THE  SICK.  161' 

set  this  soul  of  mine  free,  that  it  may  enjoy 
her  husband." 

The  famous  Lord  Duplessis  in  France, 
when  dying,  was  much  concerned  for  the 
church  of  God  in  distress,  praying  earnestly 
for  her  deliverance.  He  particularly  blessed 
such  of  his  grand  children  as  were  following 
the  studies  of  learning,  saying,  that  he  was 
assured  they  should  be  blessed  with  the  bles- 
sings both  of  heaven  above,  and  of  the  earth 
beneath."  When  a  minister  spoke  of  the 
service  he  had  done  the  church  by  his  writ- 
ings, he  said,  "  Alas,  what  was  there  of 
mine  in  that  work?  Say  not,  that  it  was  I, 
but  God  by  me."  Then  lifting  up  his 
hands  above  his  head,  he  cried  three  times, 
mercy,  mercy,  mercy.  Adding,  "  that  he 
did  it  to  show  that  it  was  the  alone  mercy  of 

God  to  which  he  had  recourse." And 

declared  that  his  faith  was  altogether  found- 
ed upon  the  goodness  of  God  in  Jesus 
Christ,  who  by  the  Father  had  been  made 
unto  him,  as  to  all  others  that  believe  in 
him,  wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctification, 
and  redemption.  "  Away  (said  he)  with 
all  merit;  I  call  for  nothing  but  mercy,  free 
mercy."  When  one  was  blessing  God  for 
giving  him  such  peace  and  comfort  at  his 
end,  he  said,  I  feel,  I  feel  what  I  speak. 
As  to  his  faith  of  the  truths  of  God,  he  said, 
p 


162  COMPANION  FOR 

"  He  was  entirely  persuaded  thereof,  by  the 
demonstration  of  God's  holy  Spirit,  which 
was  more  powerful,  more  clear,  and  more 
certain  than  all  the  demonstrations  of  Eu- 
clid.'' When  secretly  praying,  he  was 
overheard  saying  in  broken  sentences,  "  I 
fly,  I  fly  to  heaven.  Let  the  angels  carry 
me  to  the  bosom  of  my  Saviour."  After- 
wards, he  said,  "  I  know  that  my  Redeem- 
er liveth,  and  I  shall  see  him  with  these 
eyes,  Hisce  oculisf^  which  words  he  re- 
peated four  or  five  times. 

Jerome  of  Prague,  when  he  was  fastened 
to  the  stake,  and  the  executioner  began  to 
kindle  the  fire  behind  him,  bade  him  kindle 
it  before  his  face.  "  For  (said  he)  if  I  had 
been  afraid  of  it,  I  had  not  come  to  this  place, 
having  had  so  many  opportunities  oflered 
me  to  escape  it." 

Mr.  Heron,  a  minister  in  New  Eng- 
land, when  dying,  was  leaving  a  family  of 
many  small  children;  his  poor  wife  was 
weeping,  and  said,  Alas  I  what  will  become 
of  all  these  children?  He  presently  and 
pleasantly  replied,  "Never  fear;  he  that 
feeds  the  young  ravens,  will  not  starve  the 
young  Herons."  And  indeed  it  came  to 
pass  accordingly.  It  was  an  ancient  obser- 
vation concerning  the  English  martyrs  un- 
der the  bloody  Marian  persecution,  "  That 
none  of  them  went  more  joyfully  to  the 


THE  SICK.  163 

stake,  than  those  who  had  the  largest  fami- 
lies to  commit  unto  the  Lord." 

Rev.  Dr.  Payson  of  Portland,  when  on 
his  death  bed,  said  of  his  racking  pains, 
"  these  are  God's  arrows,  but  they  are  all 
sharpened  with  love."  In  the  extremity 
of  his  sufferings  he  was  accustomed  to  re- 
peat, as  a  favourite  expression,  "I  will  trust 
in  the  Lord  at  all  times.^^ 

Once  he  exclaimed,  ^' Peace!  Peace! 
Victory!  Victory!"  He  looked  on  his 
wife  and  children  and  said,  almost  in  the 
words  of  dying  Joseph,  "I  am  going,  but 
God  will  surely  be  with  you." 

Henry  Marty n,  on  the  6th  of  October, 
1812,  thus  writes  of  himself:  "No  horses 
being  to  be  had,  I  had  an  unexpected  re- 
pose. I  sat  in  the  orchard,  and  thought, 
with  sweet  comfort  and  peace,  of  my  God; 
in  solitude — my  company,  my  friend,  and 
comforter.  0!  when  shall  time  give  place 
to  eternity!  When  shall  appear  that  new 
heaven  and  new  earth  wherein  dwelleth 
righteousness!  There — there  shall  in  no 
wise  enter  in  any  thing  that  defileth:  none 
of  that  wickedness  that  has  made  men 
worse  than  wild  beasts — none  of  those  cor- 
ruptions that  add  still  more  to  the  miseries 
of  mortality,  shall  be  seen  or  heard  of  any 
more." 

Scarcely  had  Mr.  Martyn  breathed  these 


164  COMPANION  FOR 

aspirations  after  that  state  of  blissful  purity, 
for  which  he  had  attained  such  a  measure 
of  meetness,  when  he  was  called  to  ex- 
change a  condition  of  pain,  weakness,  and 
suffering,  for  that  everlasting  "rest  which 
remaineth  for  the  people  of  God/'  At 
Tocat,  on  the  16th  of  October,  1812,  either 
falling  a  sacrifice  to  the  plague,  which  then 
raged  there,  or  sinking  under  that  disorder, 
which,  when  he  had  penned  his  last  words, 
had  so  greatly  reduced  him,  he  surrendered 
his  soul  into  the  hands  of  his  Redeemer. 

Eliza  Cunningham,  of  England,  just  be- 
fore she  died  was  asked  by  Dr.  Benamor, 
how  she  was  ?  she  answered, "  Truly  happy, 
and  if  this  be  dying  it  is  a  pleasant  thing  to 
die."  She  said  to  her  uncle  about  10 
o'clock,  "  My  dear  uncle,  I  would  not  ex- 
change conditions  with  any  person  on  earth; 
Oh  how  gracious  is  the  Lord  to  me!  0 
what  a  change  is  before  me!"  She  was 
several  times  asked,  if  she  could  wish  to 
live,  provided  the  Lord  should  restore  her 
to  perfect  health;  her  answer  was  "Not  for 
all  the  world,"  and  sometimes  "Not  for  a 
thousand  worlds."  The  last  time  she  was 
asked  the  question,  she  said  "  I  desire  to 
have  no  choice."  Just  before  she  expired 
she  said  "this  is  my  experience  now,  that 
< blessed  are  the  dead  that  die  in  the  Lord.'" 

The  late  Rev.  Cornelius  Winter,  when 


THE  SICK.  165 

on  his  death  bed  said,  "If  God  were  to  re- 
fer the  event  of  this  affliction  to  me,  I  would 
refer  it  to  him  a^ijain.  I  feel  to  this  world 
as  a  weaned  child.'' 

On  Friday  one  of  his  brethren,  Mr. 
Bishop,  of  Gloucester,  visited  him.  When 
told  that  he  was  come,  he  lifted  up  his 
hands  with  surprise  and  pleasure.  Mr. 
Bishop  said  to  him,  "I  hope,  sir,  that 
you  are  happy."  He  replied,  "Yes." 
His  friend  added,  "It  is  but  a  short  step 
from  earth  to  heaven:"  with  a  feeble,  but 
distinct  voice,  he  echoed,  "A  short  step," 
and  then  added,  "I  have  sought  the  divine 
glory  more  than  mine  own  interest.  I  am 
closing  life  as  I  began  it."  His  eyelids 
then  fell — his  voice  ceased — and  death 
seemed  rapidly  approaching. 

Many  acknowledgments  of  a  similar  na- 
ture were  uttered,  which,  as  is  too  common 
in  these  cases,  the  attendants  did  not  secure 
at  the  season,  and  could  not  accurately  re- 
cover afterwards.  Indeed  the  affectionate 
and  devoted  creatures  significantly  remark- 
ed, they  "Did  not  know  that  one  thing  he 
said  was  better  than  another;  it  was  all 
alike — so  heavenly — it  was  heavenly — it 
was  heaven  to  be  with  him." 

The  Sabbath  was  now  come,  that  was  to 
end  in  the  rest  that  remains  for  the  people 
p  2 


166  COMPANION  FOR 

of  God.  In  the  morning  he  prayed,  "  Lord^ 
bless  and  unite  my  people."  Soon  after, 
he  suddenly  cried  out,  *'He  is  my  salva- 
tion, he  is  all  my  salvation.'^  About  eleven 
o'clock  he  exclaimed,  "I  am  ready,  I  am 
ready,  I  want  to  go  home."  Soon  after, 
when  one  of  his  friends  looked  upon  him, 
and  asked  him  how  he  did  ?  He  replied, 
"Like  a  dying  man;  may  the  Lord  bless 
you,  and  your  family."  He  inquired,  as 
some  of  the  family  returned  from  worship, 
the  state  of  the  congregation,  and  was  pleas- 
ed to  learn  that  it  was  large. 

A  little  before  eight  in  the  evening  he 
said,  "Tell  my  good  wife,  I  am  going." 
He  then  stretched  himself  out,  laid  his 
arms  at  length  upon  his  body,  and  indis- 
tinctly said,  "Come  Lord  Jesus;"  and  with- 
out a  groan  fell  asleep. 

We  might  fill  a  volume  with  such  ex- 
amples of  dying  believers;  but  to  con- 
clude, let  these  prompt  us  to  seek  grace 
from  God,  and  to  make  it  our  earnest  study 
to  imitate  and  follow  such  a  cloud  of  wit- 
nesses, that  we  may  die  martyrs  in  resolu- 
tion, so  that  our  graces  may  be  most  lively 
at  the  last,  that  our  evening  sun  may  shine 
brightest,  and  that  we  may  go  off  the  stage 
of  life  glorifying  God,  and  leaving  a  sweet 
savour  behind  us,  as  those  famous  worthies 


THE  SICK.  167 

whose  praise  is  in  the  churches,  have  done 
before  us. 

Thus  we  see,  in  the  language  of  Newton, 
.that  believers  can  sing  the  song  of  victory 
before  their  departure  out  of  this  world. 
We  expect  it,  when  we  are  called  to  attend 
them  in  their  last'hours;  and  if  their  illness 
leaves  them  in  possession  of  their  faculties 
and  speech,  we  are  seldom  disappointed. 
Yet  I  believe  a  full  knowledge  of  this  sub- 
ject cannot  be  collected  from  what  we  ob- 
serve of  others,  or  hear  from  them,  when 
they  are  near  death.  We  must  be  in  simi- 
lar circumstances  ourselves,  before  we  can 
see  as  they  see,  or  possess  the  ideas  which 
they  endeavour  to  describe,  and  which  seem 
too  great  for  the  language  of  mortals  to 
convey. 

We  know,  by  the  evidence  of  undeni- 
able testimony,  that  many  faithful  servants 
of  God,  when  called  to  suffer  for  his  sake, 
have  not  only  been  supported,  but  comfort- 
ed, and  enalDled  to  rejoice,  under  the  se- 
verest tortures,  and  even  in  the  midst  of  the 
flames,  as  we  have  seen  in  the  instances  be- 
fore quoted.  We  suppose,  and  I  think  with 
reason,  that  such  communications  of  light 
and  power,  as  raise  a  person  in  such  situa- 
tions above  the  ordinary  feelings  of  hu- 
manity, must,  either  in  kind  or  degree,  be 
superior   to   what    is  usually   enjoyed   by 


168  COMPANION  FOR 

Christians  in  the  smoother  walks  of  pros- 
perity and  outward  peace.  God,  who  is 
all-sufficient,  and  always  near,  has  promised 
to  give  his  people  strength  according  to 
their  day,  and  in  the  time  of  trouble  they 
are  not  disappointed.  A  measure  of  the 
like  extraordinary  discoveries  and  supports, 
is  often  vouchsafed  to  dying  believers,  and 
thus  the  gloom  which  might  otherwise  hang 
over  their  dying  hours,  is  dispelled ;  and 
while  they  contemplate  the  approach  of 
death,  a  new  world  opens  upon  them.  Even 
while  they  are  yet  upon  earth,  they  stand 
upon  the  threshold  of  heaven.  It  seems, 
in  many  cases,  as  if  the  weakness  of  the 
bodily  frame  gave  occasion  to  the  awaken- 
ing of  some  faculty,  till  then  dormant  in 
the  soul,  by  which  invisibles  are  not  only 
believed  but  seen,  and  unutterables  are 
heard  and  understood. 

The  soul's  dark  cottage,  tattered  and  decayed 
Lets  in  new  light  through  chinks. 

Instances,  as  we  have  seen,  are  frequent 
of  those  who  are  thus  blessed  when  they 
die  in  the  Lord;  and  it  does  not  appear 
that  old  age  or  great  knowledge,  or  long 
experience,  gives  any  considerable  advan- 
tage in  a  dying  hour;  for  when  the  heart  is 
truly  humbled  for  sin,  and  the  hope  solidly 
fixed  upon  the  Saviour,  persons  of  weak 


THE  SICK.  169 

vices,  and  children,  are  enabled  to  meet 
death  with  equal  fortitude  and  triumph. 
And  often  the  present  comforts  they  feel, 
and  their  lively  expectations  of  approaching 
glory,  inspire  them  with  a  dignity  of  senti- 
ment and  expression,  far  beyond  what  could 
be  expected  from  them;  and  perhaps  their 
deportment  upon  the  whole  is  no  less  ani- 
mating and  encouraging,  than  that  of  the 
most  established  and  best  informed  believ- 
ers. Thus,  out  of  the  mouths  of  babes  and 
sucklings  the  Lord  ordains  strength,  and 
perfects  his  praise,  Ps.  viii.  2.  In  a  few 
hours,  under  the  influence  of  his  immediate 
teaching,  they  often  learn  more  of  the  cer- 
tainty and  importance  of  divine  things,  than 
can  be  derived  from  the  ordinary  methods  of 
instruction  in  the  course  of  many  years.  In 
the  midst  of  agonies  and  outward  distress, 
we  hear  them  with  admiration  declare  that 
they  are  truly  happy,  and  that  they  never 
knew  pleasure  in  their  happiest  days  of 
health,  equal  to  what  they  enjoy  when  flesh 
and  heart  are  fainting.  For  death  has  lost 
its  sting  as  to  them,  and  while  they  are  able 
to  speak,  they  continue  to  ascribe  praise  to 
him,  who  has  given  them  the  victory  through 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

This  victory  is  through  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  They  gained  it  not  by  their  own 
sword,  neither  was  it  their  own  arm  that 


170  COMPANION  FOR 

capacities  and  small  attainments,  yea,  no- 
saved,  Ps.  xliv.  3.  He  died  to  deliver  them, 
who  would  otherwise,  through  fear  of  death, 
have  been  always  subject  to  bondage.  And 
it  is  he  who  teaches  their  hands  to  war,  and 
their  fingers  to  fight,  and  covers  their  heads 
in  the  day  of  battle.  Therefore  they  gladly 
say,  "Not  unto  us,  0  Lord,  not  unto  us, 
but  unto  thy  name,  be  the  glory  and  the 
praise,"  Ps.  cxv.  1.  And  this  considera- 
tion enhances  their  pleasure;  for  because 
they  love  him  above  all,  they  rejoice,  not 
only  in  the  victory  they  obtain,  but  in  the 
thought  that  they  are  indebted  to  him  for  it. 
For  were  it  possible  there  could  be  several 
methods  of  salvation,  and  they  were  left  to 
their  own  choice,  they  would,  most  gladly 
and  deliberately,  choose  that  method  which 
would  bring  them  under  the  greatest  obli- 
gations to  him.  But  this  triumphant  song 
will  be  sung  to  the  highest  advantage,  when 
the  whole  body  of  the  redeemed  shall  be 
collected  together  to  sing  it  with  one  heart 
and  voice  at  the  great  resurrection-day. 
Lot  was  undoubtedly  thankful,  when  he 
was  snatched  from  the  impending  destruc- 
tion of  Sodom.  Yet  his  lingering  (Gen. 
xix.  16)  showed,  that  he  had  but  an  imper- 
fect sense  of  the  greatness  of  the  mercy  af- 
forded him.  His  feelings  were  probably 
stronger  afterwards,  when  he  stood  in  safety 


THE  SICK.  171 

Upon  the  mountain,  and  actually  saw  the 
smoke  of  a  furnace,  from  the  place  where 
he  had  lately  dwelt.  At  present  we  have 
but  very  faint  ideas  of  the  misery  from 
which  we  are  delivered,  of  the  happiness 
reserved  in  heaven  for  us;  or  of  the  suffer- 
ings of  the  Redeemer;  but  if  we  attain  to 
the  heavenly  Zion,  and  see  from  thence  the 
smoke  of  that  bottomless  pit,  which  might 
justly  have  been  our  everlasting  abode,  we 
shall  then  more  fully  understand  what  we 
are  delivered  from,  the  means  of  our  deliv- 
erance, and  the  riches  of  the  inheritance  of 
the  saints  in  light.  And  then  we  shall  sing 
in  more  exalted  strains  than  we  can  at  pre- 
sent even  conceive  of,  "Thanks  be  to  God, 
who  hath  given  us  the  victory,  through  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Containing  directions  to  the  people  of  God,  when  the 
Lord  is  pleased  to  recover  them  from  sickness  and 
distress. 

SECTION  I. 

It  is  very  proper,  both  under  sickness  and  after  it,  to  ex- 
amine if  the  affliction  be  sanctified  to  you,  and  has 
come  from  the  love  of  God. 

It  would  be  very  comfortable  for  us  to 
know  that  the  afflictions  which  God  visits  us 


172  COMPANION  FOR 

with,  are  not  the  punishment  of  a  judge, 
but  the  chastisement  of  a  father;  that  they 
do  not  proceed  from  wrath,  but  from  love: 
that  they  are  not  curses,  but  blessings  to  us. 
Now,  the  best  way  of  knowing  this,  is  by 
the  effects  which  they  work  and  produce  in 
us,  through  the  blessing  of  God. 

Can  you  say,  that  your  affliction  has  hum- 
bled you  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  made  you 
confess  and  bewail  your  sins,  and  stray  in  gs 
from  God  as  the  procuring  cause  ?  Has  it 
been  like  Moses'  rod,  that  smote  the  rock 
and  brought  out  much  water?  Did  you 
water  your  couch  with  tears,  and  mourn 
humbly  before  God,  for  all  your  God-pro- 
voking sins  ?  Then  it  is  a  good  sign  that 
sickness  is  sanctified. 

2d.  Does  your  affliction  drive  you  nearer 
to  God,  and  cause  you  to  aim  at  closer  com- 
munion with  God,  and  more  diligence  in 
duty  than  formerly,  saying,  ''  However 
careless  I  have  been  in  duty  in  time  past,  it 
is  surely  good  for  me  now  to  draw  nearer  to 
God?"  Then  your  sickness  is  a  blessing  to 
you. 

3d.  Affliction  is  sanctified,  when  the  cor- 
ruption and  deceitfulness  of  the  heart  is 
more  discovered  and  laid  open  to  the  view 
of  the  soul:  so  that  the  man  is  made  to  ab- 
hor himself  in  dust  and  ashes,  and  cry  out 
as  the  leper,  "  Unclean,  unclean."     I  never 


THE  SICK.  173 

could  have  thought  my  heart  was  so  wick- 
ed as  now  I  see  it. 

4th.  It  is  a  sanctified  sickness  that  purges 
the  heart  and  changes  the  life,  and  gives  a 
death  stroke  to  your  sins  and  idols,  and 
makes  you  to  loathe  and  abhor  them  more 
than  ever,  saying  with  Ephraim,  "  What 
have  I  to  do  any  more  with  idols  ?'^ 

5th.  It  is  a  blessed  rod,  when  grace  is  more 
quickened  and  stirred  up  by  it,  and  the  man 
becomes  more  fruitful  in  holy  duties  and 
good  works;  when  it  is  a  budding  and  blos- 
soming rod,  like  Aaron's,  Numb.  xvii.  It 
is  recorded  there  of  Aaron's  rod,  that  it 
brought  forth  buds,  blooming  blossoms,  and 
yielded  almonds.  So  it  is  happy  with  us, 
when  our  rods  and  sicknesses  do  produce  in 
us,  not  only  the  buds  of  a  profession,  or  the 
blossoms  or  some  beginnings  of  a  reforma- 
tion; but  even  cause  us  to  yield  almonds, 
fruit  savoury  to  God.  Is  conscience  become 
more  tender  with  respect  to  sin  ?  Are  we 
more  jealous  over  our  hearts  ?  Are  we 
more  fervent  in  prayer,  more  lively  in 
praise,  more  mortified  to  the  world,  more 
desirous  of  communion  with  God  ?  Then 
may  we  say  with  David,  "  It  is  good  for  us 
to  have  been  afflicted?"  and  with  Heze- 
kiah,  "  Thou  hast,  in  love  to  my  soul,  deliv- 
ered it  from  the  pit  of  corruption." 
Q 


174  COMPANION  FOR 


SECTION  II. 


Make  conscience  of  offering'  to  God  the  sacrifice  of 
thanksgiving,  upon  his  recovering  you  from  sickness 
or  any  distress. 

The  Psalmist  gives  us  this  direction  from 
God,  Psal.  1.  14,  15.  and  he  shows  us  that  it 
was  his  own  practice  in  such  a  case,  Psal. 
cxvi.  17.  Psal.  ciii.  1,  2,  3,  &c.  The  com- 
mand is  just,  let  us  obey  it;  the  example  ex- 
cellent, let  us  imitate  it.  Praise  is  comely 
for  the  upright. 

The  sacrifice  of  thanksgiving  is  most 
pleasing  and  acceptable  to  God.  He  loves 
your  tears  and  prayers,  0  believer,  but  much 
more  your  praises.  How  well  pleased  was 
our  Lord  with  the  poor  leper  Samaritan, 
that  returned  and  gave  him  thanks  for  cur- 
ing his  bodily  disease?  Luke  xvii.  He  dis- 
missed him  with  a  special  blessing,  and 
cured  him  of  his  soul's  disease  as  well  as 
that  of  his  body. 

Consider  that  thankfulness  for  mercies,  re- 
ceived, is  a  most  profitable  exercise  for  your- 
self; for  it  is  the  w^ay  to  get  more  and  bet- 
ter blessings  bestowed  upon  you,  according 
to  Psal.  Ixvii.  5.  6,  "  Let  the  people  praise 
thee,  0  God.  Then  shall  the  earth  yield 
her  increase:  and  God,  even  our  own  God, 
shall  bless  us.'^     Thanksgiving  for  former 


THE  SICK.  175 

mercies  is  one  way  of  petitioning  for  new 
favours,  and  God  will  understand  it  in  this 
sense. 

God  is  so  well  pleased  with  the  duty  of 
thanksgiving,  that  he  honours  it  to  be  the 
eternal  work  of  heaven.  Whereas  other 
graces,  such  as  faith,  hope,  and  repentance, 
will  then  be  melted  into  love  and  joy  for- 
ever, so  other  duties  of  worship,  such  as 
reading,  hearing,  will  then  be  changed  into 
that  of  praise  and  thanksgiving:  the  glorifi- 
ed company  above  will  never  be  weary  of 
this  work;  and  shall  not  we  delight  in  it 
now,  when  God  is  calling  us  to  it  by  so 
many  new  mercies? 

In  the  next  place,  that  you  may  ofier  the 
sacrifice  of  thanksgiving  to  God  for  your  re- 
covery, with  gracious  acceptance. 

1.  See  that  your  heart  be  touched  with  a 
sense  of  the  greatness  of  the  mercy,  and  of 
the  goodness  of  God  manifested  therein. 
We  must  put  a  due  value  upon  our  mercies, 
and  have  our  hearts  afiected  with  God's 
kind  dealing  towards  us  in  them,  if  we 
would  be  rightly  thankful  to  God,  the  au- 
thor of  them.  Hence  it  was  that  David 
called  upon  his  heart,  and  all  within  him, 
to  bless  the  Lord  for  his  benefits,  PsaL  ciii. 
1.  and  in  Psal.  cxxxviii.  1,  he  says,  "  I  will 
praise  thee  with  my  whole  heart." 


176  _     COMPANION  FOR 

2.  Let  your  praise  be  the  native  result  of 
faith  and  love  in  your  soul,  otherwise  it 
will  be  but  an  empty  sound.  Faith  is  ne- 
cessary to  draw  aside  the  veil,  and  show  us 
the  perfections  of  the  invisible  God,  who  is 
the  spring  and  author  of  all  our  mercies; 
love  gives  a  deep  sense  of  his  goodness,  en- 
larges the  heart  towards  God,  and  opens  the 
lips  to  show  forth  his  praise. 

3.  Study  to  have  a  deep  sense  of  your 
own  unworthiness  and  ill-deservings  at  the 
Lord's  hand,  upon  account  of  your  sins,  and 
ill  improvement  of  former  deliverances,  say- 
ing with  Jacob,  Gen.  xxxii.  10,  "  I  am  not 
worthy  of  the  least  of  all  thy  mercies.'' 

4.  Look  above  instruments  and  second 
causes,  and  do  not  ascribe  your  recovery  to 
physicians  or  outward  means,  but  to  the 
Lord,  the  prime  author  of  it,  whose  blessing 
alone  it  is,  that  gives  efficacy  and  success  to 
the  appointed  means,  and  by  whose  mercy 
only  we  are  spared  and  brought  back  from 
the  gates  of  the  grave.  To  this  the  apostle 
27,  *^  Indeed  he  was  sick  nigh  unto  death, 
attributes  Epaphroditus'  recovery,  Phil.  ii. 
but  God  had  mercy  on  him."  Hence  we 
are  told,  1  Sam.  ii.  6,  "  The  Lord  bringeth 
down  to  the  grave,  and  bringeth  up." 

5.  Observe  narrowly  the  remarkable  cir- 
cumstances of  the  Lord's  goodness,  and  the 
sweet  ingredients  of  your  mercies.     As  for 


THE    SICK.  177 

instance,  (1.)  How  discernible  the  Lord's 
hand  was  in  your  deliverance,  which  obliges 
you  to  say,  surely  this  is  the  finger  of  God? 
this  is  the  Lord's  doing,  and  it  is  marvellous 
in  mine  eyes.  (2.)  How  your  deliverance 
came  to  you  as  the  return  of  prayer,  makes 
you  say,  surely  he  is  a  prayer-hearing  God. 
(3.)  How  deliverances  came  when  there 
was  but  little  ground  to  hope  for  it.  See 
how  Hezekiah  observed  this  ingredient  in 
his  recovery  from  sickness.  Isa.  xxxviii. 
10, 11,"  I  said  in  the  cutting  offof  my  days 
I  shall  go  to  the  gates  of  the  grave:  I  am 
deprived  of  the  residue  of  my  years.  I 
said,  I  shall  not  see  the  Lord,  even  the  Lord 
in  the  land  of  the  living:  I  shall  behold 
man  no  more,  with  the  inhabitants  of  the 
world,"  verse  15,  "What  shall  I  say?  he 
has  both  spoken  to  me,  and  himself  hath 
done  it."  Sometimes  God  sends  deliver- 
ances to  his  people  when  they  are  most 
hopeless,  and  saying,  with  the  captives  of 
Babylon,  Ezek.  xxxvii.  11,  "Behold  our 
bones  are  dried,  and  our  hope  is  lost,  and 
we  are  cut  off  for  our  parts."  (4.)  Remem- 
ber how  the  extremity  of  your  distress  was 
God's  opportunity  of  sending  relief.  Abra- 
ham never  forgot  the  seasonableness  of  God's 
appearing  for  him  in  his  extreme  need  upon 
mount  Moriah,  when  he  called  the  name  of 
q2 


178  COMPANION   FOR 

the  place  Jehovah  Jireh,  for  preserving  the 
memorial  of  it;  "  in  the  mount  of  the  Lord 
it  will  be  seen."  So  doth  David,  Psal.  cxvi, 
''I  was  brought  low  and  he  helped  me." 

6.  Let  the  present  deliverance  bring  all 
former  mercies  to  your  remembrance,  so 
that  you  may  praise  God  for  them  all, 
whether  they  be  national  or  personal  mercies, 
public  or  private,  spiritual  or  temporal. 
New  mercies  should  revive  the  memory  of 
the  old,  and  all  of  them  should  come  to  mind 
at  such  a  time ;  so  the  Psalmist  directs,  Ps. 
cv.  2,  "  Sing  to  the  Lord,  talk  ye  of  all  his 
wondrous  works."  And  what  he  directs 
others  to,  he  practised  himself  in  such  a 
case,  Psal.  cxvi.  12,  "  What  shall  I  render  to 
the  Lord  for  all  his  benefits  towards  me?^' 

7.  Be  ready  to  communicate  to  others  an 
account  of  the  Lord's  kind  dealings  towards 
you,  and  the  sweet  ingredients  of  his  mer- 
cies; and  particularly  of  his  sending  spiritu- 
al deliverance  to  your  soul,  as  well  as  out- 
ward deliverance  to  your  body,  when  he  is 
pleased  to  do  so.  And  do  this  to  recom- 
mend the  service  of  God  to  others,  and  to 
engage  and  invite  them  to  assist  you  in 
blessing  and  praising  the  Lord.  We  see 
how  David  observed  his  soul  deliverances, 
Psal.  cxvi.  7,  6,  and  declares  his  experience 
to  others,  Psal.  xxii.  22,  "  I  will  declare  thy 
name  unto  my  brethren:  in  the  midst  of 


THE  SICK.  179 

the  congregation  will  I  praise  thee."  Psal. 
Ixvi.  16,  "  Come  and  hear,  all  ye  that  fear 
God,  and  I  will  declare  what  he  hath  done 
for  my  soul." 

Lastly,  Remember  always  to  give  thanks 
for  mercies  to  the  Father,  in  the  name  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  as  directed,  Eph.  v. 
20.  Your  spiritual  sacrifices  are  only  ac- 
cepted of  God,  when  you  offer  them  up  by 
Jesus  Christ,  1  Pet.  ii.  5.  As  we  must  seek 
all  our  mercies  in  Christ's  name,  so  w^e  must 
give  thanks  for  them  also  in  his  name.  He 
is  the  Mediator  of  our  praises,  as  well  as 
our  prayers.  Believers  have  not  one  mercy, 
but  what  comes  swimming  to  them  in 
Christ's  blood,  and  is  the  fruit  of  his  death 
and  purchase  to  them:  and  therefore  he  is  to 
be  looked  to  in  the  receiving  of  every  mer- 
cy. And  as  Christ  is  the  only  mediator  for 
conveying  all  our  services  and  spiritual  sac- 
rifices to  God.  God  accepts  of  them  only 
as  they  are  perfumed  by  Christ's  meritori- 
ous sacrifice,  and  potent  intercession. 


SECTION  III. 

Inquire  after  these  fruits  of  righteousness,  which  are  the 
genuine  effects  of  affliction  in  the  children  of  God,  who 
are  duly  exercised  thereby. 

The  Apostle  speaks  of  these  fruits,  Heb. 
xii.    11,   as    properly    following  sanctified 


180  COMPANION    FOR 

afflictions,  and  a  kindly  exercise  of  spirit 
under  them.  And  therefore  it  is  your  duty 
to  inquire  if  they  be  produced  in  you. 

1.  The  increase  of  true  repentance  is  one 
of  those  fruits  which  is  the  product  of  sanc- 
tified trials.  Job  found  it  in  himself  on  the 
back  of  his  affliction,  chap.  xiii.  6,  "  Now  I 
abhor  myself,  and  repent  in  dust  and  ashes." 
It  would  be  happy,  if  we  could  find  our 
hearts  more  soft  and  melting  upon  the  view 
of  sin,  after  we  have  been  in  the  furnace  of 
affliction. 

2.  Another  fruit  is  the  improvement  of 
faith.  The  afflicted  believer  is  taught  to 
look  to,  and  depend  more  upon  God  for  help 
in  time  of  need,  and  less  upon  the  creature. 
He  now  sees  that  vain  is  the  help  of  man  in 
the  day  of  calamity,  and  that  God  in  Christ 
is  the  only  proper  object  of  the  soul's  trust. 
This  was  the  fruit  of  the  apostle's  affliction, 
2  Cor.  i.  8,  9.  10,  "  We  were  pressed  out  of 
measure,  above  strength,  insomuch  that  we 
despaired  even  of  life.  We  had  the  sen- 
tence of  death  in  ourselves,  that  we  should 
not  trust  in  ourselves,  but  in  God  that 
raiseth  the  dead ;  who  delivereth  us  from  so 
great  a  death,  an*  doth  deliver :  in  whom 
we  trust  that  he  will  yet  deliver." 

3.  Humility  and  low  thoughts  of  our- 
selves, is  one  of  the  fruits  of  righteousness 


THE  SICK.  181 

which  sanctified  affliction  yields.  How 
proud  and  lofty  was  Nebuchadnezzar  be- 
fore he  was  afflicted,  Dan.  iv.  29,  30.  But 
afterwards  is  made  to  own  God,  and  hum- 
bly submit  to  him  as  his  supreme  and  in- 
controllable  Sovereign,  and  to  acknowledge 
that  those  who  walk  in  pride  he  is  able  to 
abase,  ver.  37.  This  was  God's  design  in 
the  various  trials  in  the  wilderness,  Deut. 
viii.  16,  "That  he  might  humble  thee, 
prove  thee,  and  do  thee  good  at  the  latter 
end."  See  then,  0  believer,  if  this  fruit 
be  produced  in  thee. 

4.  Another  fruit  is  the  spirit  of  prayer 
and  supplication.  This  was  visible  in  the 
Psalmist's  case,  after  God  had  delivered 
him  from  the  sorrows  of  death,  and  heard 
his  voice,  Psal.  cxvi.  2,  ^*  Therefore,"  says 
he,  "will  I  call  upon  him  as  long  as  I  live." 
O,  says  the  true  believer,  God's  mercy  to 
me  in  trouble,  and  his  sending  me  relief 
when  I  cried  to  him,  will  make  me  love 
prayer  the  better,  and  engage  me  to  be 
more  diligent  in  it  all  my  days;  for  I  still 
see  I  have  daily  need  of  his  helping  hand. 

5.  Heavenly-mindedness  is  a  fruit  of 
sanctified  affliction.  Before,  the  man  was 
inclined  to  say.  It  is  good  for  us  to  be  here, 
let  us  build  tabernacles  in  this  lower  world. 
But  now  he  changes  his  thoughts,  and  says 
with  the  Psalmist,  ''It  is  good  for  me  to 


182  COMPANION  FOR 

draw  nigh  to  God.  Arise  let  us  depart, 
this  is  not  our  rest/'  This  world  is  noth- 
ing but  the  house  of  our  pilgrimage,  hea- 
ven only  is  our  home. 

6.  Another  fruit  of  sanctified  trials,  is 
greater  love  to-  God  than  formerly.  How 
much  was  David's  heart  warmed  with  love 
and  gratitude  to  God  upon  the  back  of  his 
affliction,  so  that  he  wants  words  to  express 
the  affections  of  his  soul?  Psal.  cxvi.  1.  8. 
12,  "I  will  love  the  Lord  because  he  hath 
heard  my  voice.  I  was  brought  low  but  he 
helped  me.  Thou  hast  delivered  my  soul 
from  death,  mine  eyes  from  tears,  and  my 
feet  from  falling.  What  shall  I  render  to 
the  Lord  for  all  his  benefits  towards  me  ?" 

7.  Learning  and  keeping  God's  word  is 
a  fruit  of  sanctified  affliction,  Psal.  cxix.  67. 
71.  Let  us  inquire  if  this  fruit  be  produced 
in  us  after  sickness.  Do  we  attend  to  the 
word  more  closely?  do  we  believe  it  more 
firmly  ?  do  we  embrace  its  offers  more  ear- 
nestly? and  do  we  live  more  in  the  expec- 
tation of  that  glory  which  the  word  reveals 
to  us?  *'Then  it  is  good  for  us  to  have 
been  afflicted ;  for  we  have  learned  more  of 
God's  word." 

8.  Tenderness  of  conscience  is  a  happy 
fruit  of  sanctified  trouble;  when  the  be- 
liever, after  it,  becomes  exceedingly  afraid 


THE  SICK.  183 

of  sin,  and  of  making  new  wounds  in  his 
conscience.  He  cannot  think  of  venturing 
again  upon  any  known  sin:  for  the  smart 
of  former  wounds,  and  the  pain  they  occa- 
sioned in  his  soul,  when  distress  lay  upon 
him,  make  deep  and  lasting  impressions  on 
his  mind,  as  they  did  on  the  afflicted  church, 
Lam.  iii.  19,  20,  '^Remember  mine  afflic- 
tion, and  my  misery,  the  wormwood  and 
the  gall,  my  soul  hath  them  still  in  remem- 
brance, and  is  humbled  within  me."  Now 
such  fruits  of  righteousness  are  an  evidence 
that  we  have  been  suitably  exercised  under 
affliction:  0  to  find  them  produced  in  us  af- 
ter sickness  is  over. 

Many  and  powerful  are  the  motives 
which  should  lead  you  to  bring  forth  fruits; 
and  if  they  fail  to  produce  this  effect,  it  in- 
dicates a  very  lamentable  state  of  heart  in 
you.  Your  gracious  Father,  though  an  in- 
dulgent lover  of  all  mankind,  seems  to 
watch  over  you,  with  more  than  ordinary 
care  and  concern,  and  to  be  extremely  desi- 
rous, nay,  even  solicitous  for  your  salvation. 
How  does  his  goodness  endeavour,  by  the 
repeated,  though  lightest  strokes  of  his  rod, 
to  cure  whatever  is  disordered,  to  rectify 
whatever  is  amiss  in  you  ?  How  studiously 
does  he  seek,  by  laying  you  on  a  sick-bed, 
to  make  you  see  yourself  and  all  things 


184  COMPANION  FOR 

else  in  a  true  and  proper  light;  to  point  out 
to  you  your  frailties  and  follies,  your  dar- 
ling lusts,  and  the  sins  that  do  most  easily 
beset  you;  to  convince  you  that  you  are 
only  a  sojourner  here  upon  earth,  your  body 
a  poor  frail  and  corruptible  house  of  clay, 
your  soul,  a  bright,  glorious,  and  immortal 
being,  that  is  hasting  to  the  fruition  of  God, 
and  to  mansions  of  eternal  rest;  to  discover 
to  you  the  vanity  and  meanness,  and  con- 
temptible littleness  of  this  world,  and  the 
worth,  the  importance,  and  the  amazing 
greatness  of  the  next.  Do  not  then  hold 
out  against  these  kind  calls  to  repentance 
and  amendment;  do  not  resist  such  earnest 
importunities,  such  sweet  solicitations.  But 
suffer  yourself,  by  this  loving  correction,  to 
be  made  great;  great  in  humility,  holiness 
and  happiness.  Humble  yourself  under  the 
mighty  hand  of  God;  and  by  a  hearty  sor- 
row for  your  past  sins,  and  a  firm  resolution 
of  obedience  for  the  future,  let  this  fatherly 
chastisement  bring  forth  in  you  the  peace- 
able fruits  of  righteousness.  Oh!  let  us 
dread,  let  us  tremble,  to  reject  any  longer 
the  offers  of  grace,  lest  we  awake  at  length 
his  justice,  and  draw  down  vengeance  upon 
ourselves;  lest  our  visitation  be  not  in  love 
and  with  kindness,  but  in  heavy  displeasure 
and  with  fury  poured  out;  lest  his  next  dis- 


THE  SICK.  185 


pensation  be  not  a  merciful  severity,  but 

indign 

guish. 


indignation  and  wrath,  tribulation  and  an 


SECTION  IV. 

Be  careful  to  perform  these  resolutions,  engagements  or 
vows,  you  have  come  under  m  the  time  of  sickness  : 
and  walk  suitably  to  them. 

As  a  time  of  sickness  and  affliction  is  a 
proper  season  for  making  vows  to  God,  and 
binding  our  souls  with  resolutions  to  mor- 
tify sin  in  the  heart,  and  purge  it  away 
from  the  life,  and  to  be  diligent  in  duty, 
and  walk  more  humbly  with  God;  so  a 
time  of  recovery  from  sickness  is  a  proper 
season  for  paying  and  performing  those 
vows.  This  w^as  the  royal  Psalmist's  prac- 
tice in  such  a  case,  Psal.  cxvi.  6.  16,  17,  18. 
"I  was  brought  low  and  he  helped  me. 
Truly  I  am  thy  servant;  I  am  thy  servant. 
I  will  offer  to  thee  the  sacrifice  of  thanks- 
giving. I' will  pay  my  vows  unto  the 
Lord  now  in  the  presence  of  all  his  peo- 
ple.'' Now,  for  your  assistance  in  this  mat- 
ter, I  offer  you  these  few  advices. 

1.  Defer  not  to  pay  your  vows,  but  be 
speedy,  and  take  the  first  opportunity  to 
pay  them.      Delays  in  this  case  are  most 

R 


186  COMPANION  FOR 

dangerous:   Solomon,  that  wise  man,  was 
sensible  of  this,  which  made  him  give  you 
this  advice,  Eccles.  v.  4.  "When  thou  vow-, 
est  a  vow  uhto  God,  defer  not  to  pay  it." 

2.  Be  still  jealous  of  your  heart,  which  is 
prone  to  deal  treacherously  with  God  after 
affliction  is  over.  The  Israelites'  practice 
is  a  sad  instance  of  this  truth,  Psal.  Ixviii. 
34,  &c.  ''When  he  slew  them,  then  they 
sought  him,  and  they  returned  and  inquired 
early  after  God,  &c.  Nevertheless  they 
did  flatter  him  with  their  mouth,  and  they 
did  flatter  him  with  their  tongues;  for  their 
heart  was  not  right  with  him,  neither  were 
they  steadfast  in  his  covenant.''  The  par- 
poses  of  many  in  affliction  are  like  the  vows 
of  mariners  in  a  storm;  they  are  the  first 
things  they  forget  and  break  when  once 
they  are  safe  ashore.  However  patient 
some  seem  to  be  in  sickness,  yet  when  they 
recover  from  it,  they  soon  return  to  their 
old  sins  again.  They  are  like  metals  in  a 
furnace,  they  melt  and  turn  liquid  while  in 
it,  but  when  out  they  soon  return  to  their 
old  hardness.  There  is  good  reason  for 
that  caution  which  the  Lord  gives  us,  Mai. 
ii.  10,  "Therefore  take  heed  to  your  spirit, 
that  you  deal  not  treacherously." 

3.  Cry  continually  for  strength  from  above 
to  enable  you  to  perform  your  vows.     The 


THE  SK^K.  187 

Psalmist  took  this  course,  and  found  it  suc- 
cessful, Psal.  cxxxviii.  3.  "In  the  day  when 
I  cried  to  thee,  thou  answeredst  me,  and 
strengthenest  me  with  strength,  in  my 
soul/'  And  forget  not,  0  believer,  that 
God  has  treasured  up  strength  "for  you  in 
your  Head  and  Surety  Christ  Jesus;  where- 
fore be  still  borrowing  from  him,  for  the 
performing  of  all  your  engagements,  2  Tim. 
ii.  1.  "My  son  be  strong  in  the  grace  that 
is  in  Christ  Jesus/'  Put  your  treacherous 
heart  in  your  Surety's  hand,  for  though  you 
are  weak,  yet  your  Redeemer  is  strong. 
Whenever,  then,  you  first  perceive  your 
heart  begin  to  start  aside  from  God,  be  sure 
to  check  it,  and  look  up  to  God  in  Christ 
for  strength,  and  secure  it  against  treachery 
and  perfidious  dealing:  cry  with  the  Psahn- 
ist,  "Be  surety  for  thy  servant  for  good." 

4.  Guard  diligently  against  your  predom- 
inant sin,  the  sin  that  has  most  easily  beset 
you,  the  sin  that  was  the  most  bitter  and 
uneasy  to  you  in  the  day  of  distress.  Keep 
a  vigilant  eye  upon  it  now;  for  if  once  that 
sin  be  vanquished,  the  rest  will  the  more 
easily  be  put  to  flight. 

5.  Be  frequently  meditating  on  your 
vows,  and  on  the  condition  you  were  in 
when  they  were  made,  and  study  to  keep 
alive  in  your  heart,  the  same  apprehension 


188  COMPANION  FOR 

of  things  after  sickness,  which  you  had  in 
time  of  it.  How  vain  and  comfortless  did 
the  world  and  its  vnnities  then  appear  to 
you  I  liow  ;rvvful  were  the  truths  of  God  on 
your  spirits!  how  far  preferahle  was  the 
loving-kindness  of  God  to  you  than  life! 
how  precious  was  Christ  then  in  your  eyes! 
0  that  your  judgment,  thoughts,  and  im- 
pressions of  these  things  may  continue  still 
the  same. 

6.  Keep  up  the  impressions  of  precious- 
ness  of  time,  that  you  may  diligently  im-. 
prove  it;  and  shake  off  sloth  and  idleness. 
Rememher  what  a  view  you  obtained  in 
time  of  sickness,  of  long-lasting  eternity; 
and  what  a  trouble  it  was  to  you  to  look 
back,  and  see  how  much  time  you  had  lost 
in  sin  and  vanity.  When  sometimes  we 
are  brought  to  the  brink  of  eternity,  the 
near  views  we  then  get  of  its  vast  and  un- 
changableness,  are  sometimes  so  awful  and 
amazing  to  us,  that  we  are  ready  to  think, 
though  we  had  Methusalem's  years  to  live, 
it  would  be  unreasonable  wilfully  to  mis- 
spend one  hour  of  them  all.  Well  then,  is 
sickness  over,  our  time  so  short,  and  so  little 
of  it  remaining  behind  ?  will  we  be  so  fool-, 
ish  as  to  be,  lavish  of  it  still,  and  trifle  it 
away  as  before  ? 

7.  Set  a  special  mark  upon  all  these  sins, 


THE  SICK.  189 

whether  of  omission  or  commission,  that 
made  death  look  grim  and  ghastly  upon 
you  in  the  time  of  sickness,  and  against 
which  you  resolved;  and  see  to  get  every 
one  of  them  amended  and  removed.  Re- 
member and  consider  how  sad  it  will  be  for 
you,  if  sickness  find  you  again  in  the  very 
same  sins  which  formerly  stung  you.  What 
will  you  say  to  conscience,  when  it  shall 
challenge  you?  How  will  you  look  death 
in  the  face,  if  it  should  find  you  living  in 
the  very  same  sins  you  formerly  mourned 
for,  and  promised  against  I  Death  would 
then  be  the  king  of  terrors  to  thy  soul  in- 
deed. 

0  then  mind  your  vowS,  and  say  with 
the  Psalmist,  Psal.  Ivi.  12,  13.  "Thy  vows 
are  upon  me,  0  God:  I  will  render  praises 
to  thee.  For  thou  hast  delivered  my  soul 
from  death:  wilt  not  thou  deliver  my  feet 
from  falling,  that  I  may  walk  before  God 
in  the  light  of  the  living?'' 


r2 


APPROPRIATE  POETRY. 


THERE  S  NOTHING  TRUE  BUT  HEAVEN. 

This  world  is  all  a  fleeting  show, 
For  man's  illusion  given ; 
The  smiles  of  joy,  the  tears  of  wo, 
Deceitful  shine,  deceitful  flow ; 
There's  nothing  true  but  heaven ! 

And  false  the  light  on  glory's  plume, 
As  fading  hues  of  even; 
And  love,  and  hope,  and  beauty's  bloom, 
Are  blossoms  gather'd  for  the  tomb ; 
There's  nothing  true  but  heaven  ! 

Poor  wand'rers  of  a  stormy  day. 
From  wave  to  wave  we're  driven ; 
And  fancy's  flash,  and  reason's  ray, 
Serve  but  to  light  the  troubled  way ; 
There's  nothing  calm  but  heaven ! 


Moore. 


IMMORTALITY. 

In  the  dust  I'm  doom'd  to  sleep. 
But  shall  not  sleep  for  ever ; 

Fear  may  for  a  moment  weep. 
Christian  courage — never. 


192  POETRY. 

Years  in  rapid  course  shall  roll, 

By  time's  chariot  driven, 
And  my  re-awakened  soul 

Wing  its  flight  to  heaven. 

What  though  o'er  my  mortal  tonjb 

Clouds  and  mists  be  blending? 
Sweetest  hope  shall  chase  the  gloom, 

Hopes  to  heaven  ascending. 
These  shall  be  my  stay,  my  trust, 

Ever  bright  and  vernal ; — 
Life  shall  blossom  out  of  dust 

Life  and  joy  eternal.  Bowring. 


LONGING  TO  BE  WITH  CHRIST. 

To  Jesus,  the  crown  of  my  hope, 
My  soul  is  in  haste  to  be  gone ; 

O  bear  me,  ye  cherubim,  up. 

And  waft  me  away  to  his  throne. 

My  Saviour,  whom  absent  I  love ; 

Whom,  not  having  seen,  I  adore ; 
Whose  name  is  exalted  above 

All  glory,  dominion,  and  power : 

Dissolve  from  these  bonds,  that  detain 
My  soul  from  her  portion  in  thee; 

Ah  !  strike  off  this  adamant  chain. 
And  make  me  eternally  free. 

When  that  happy  era  begins, 

When  array'd  in  thy  glories  I  shine, 
Nor  grieve  any  more,  by  my  sins, 

The  bosom  on  which  I  recline : 


POETRY.  193 

0  then  shall  the  veil  be  removed, 

And  round  me  thy  briorhtne?s  be  pour'd  : 

1  shall  meet  liini  whom  absent  I  lov'd, 
I  shall  see  whom  unseen  I  ador'd. 

And  then,  never  more  shall  the  fears, 

The  trials,  temptations,  and  woes, 
Which  darken  this  valley  of  tears, 

Intrude  on  my  blissful  repose. 

Or,  if  yet  remembered  above, 

Remembrance  no  sadness  shall  raise; 

They  will  be  but  new  signs  of  thy  love. 
New  themes  for  my  wonder  and  praise. 

Thus  the  strokes  which,  from  sin  and  from  pain, 

Shall  set  me  eternally  free, 
Will  but  strengthen  and  rivet  the  chain. 

Which  binds  me,  my  Saviour,  to  tliee. 

Cowper. 


SEPARATION. 

When  forced  to  part  from  those  we  love, 

If  sure  to  meet  to-morrow. 
We  still  a  pang  of  anguish  prove, 

And  feel  a  touch  of  sorrow. 

But  who  can  paint  the  briny  tears 

We  shed  when  thus  we  sever. 
If  forced  to  part  for  months,  for  years, 

To  part — perhaps  for  ever!  Anon. 


Bdt,  if  our  thoughts  are  fixed  aright, 

A  cheering  hope  is  given. 
Though  here  our  prospects  end  in  night, 

We  meet  again  in  heaven. 


194  POETRY. 

Yes,  if  our  souls  are  rais'd  above, 
'Tis  sweet  when  thus  we  sever. 

Since  parting  in  a  Saviour's  love, 

We  part  to  meet  for  ever  I  Dudley. 


COMFORT  UNDER  AFFLICTION. 

When  gathering  clouds  around  I  viewr, 
And  days  are  dark  and  friends  are  few, 
On  him  I  lean,  who  not  in  vain 
Experienc'd  every  human  pain. 
He  sees  my  griefs,  allays  my  fears, 
And  counts  and  treasures  up  my  tears. 

If  aught  should  tempt  my  soul  to  stray 
From  heavenly  wisdom's  narrow  way; 
To  fly  the  good  I  would  pursue. 
Or  do  the  thing  I  would  not  do ; 
Still  He,  who  felt  temptation's  power, 
Shall  guard  me  in  that  dangerous  hour. 

If  wounded  love  my  bosom  swell, 
Despised  by  those  I  prized  too  well ; 
He  shall  his  pitying  aid  bestow, 
Who  felt  on  earth  severer  wo ; 
At  once  betrayed,  denied,  or  fled. 
By  those  who  shared  his  daily  bread. 

When  vexing  thoughts  within  me  rise, 
And,  sore  dismayed,  my  spirit  dies; 
Yet  He,  who  did  vouchsafe  to  bear 
The  sickening  anguish  of  despair. 
Shall  sweetly  soothe,  shall  gently  dry, 
The  throbbing  heart,  the  streaming  eye. 

When  mourning  o'er  some  stone  I  bend, 
Which  covers  all  that  was  a  friend ; 
And  from  his  voice,  his  hand,  his  smile, 
Divides  me  for  a  little  while ; 


POETRY.  195 

Tliou,  Saviour,  mark'st  the  tears  I  shed, 
For  thou  didst  weep  o'er  Lazarus  dead. 

And  O !  when  I  have  safely  passed 

Through  every  conflict  but  the  last; 

Still,  still  unchanginor,  watch  beside 

My  painful  bed — for  thou  hast  died ; 

Then  point  to  realms  of  cloudless  day. 

And  wipe  the  latest  tears  away.  Grant. 


FUNERAL  HYMN. 

Thou  art  gone  to  the  grave !  but  we  will  not  deplore 

thee, 
Though  sorrows  and  darkness  encompass  the  tomb; 
The  Saviour  has  passed  through  its  portals  before  thee. 
And  the  lamp  of  his  love  is  thy  guide  through  the  gloom; 

Thou  art  gone  to  the  grave !  we  no  longer  behold  thee, 
Nor  tread  the  rough  paths  of  the  world  by  thy  side, 
But  the  wide  arms  of  mercy  are  spread  to  enfold  thee, 
And  sinners  may  hope,  since  the  Sinless  hath  died. 

Thou  art  gone  to  the  grave  !  and  its  mansion  forsaking, 
Perchance  thy  weak  spirit  in  doubt  lingered  long. 
But  the  sunshine  of  heaven  beamed  bright  on  thy  waking, 
And  the  sound  which  thou  heard'st  was  the  seraphim's 
song. 

Thou  art  gone  to  the  grave !  hut  t'were  vain  to  deplore 

thee. 
When  God  was  thy  ransom,  thy  guardian,  thy  guide. 
He  gave  thee,  he  took  thee,  and  he  will  restore  thee. 
And  death  hath  no  sting  since  the  Saviour  hath  died. 

Bishop  Heber. 


196  POETRY. 


QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS. 

Flowers,  wherefore  do  ye  bloom  ? 
— We  strew  thy  pathway  to  the  tomb. 

Stars,  wherefore  do  ye  rise  ? 

— To  light  thy  spirit  to  the  skies. 

O  Sun,  what  makes  thy  beams  so  bright  ? 
—The  Word  that  said,—"  Let  there  be  light." 

Nature ;  whence  sprang  thy  glorious  frame  ? 
— My  maker  called  me,  and  I  came. 

O  Light,  thy  subtle  essence  who  may  know  ? 
— Ask  not ;  for  all  things  but  myself  I  show. 

What  is  yon  arch  which  every  where  I  see  ? 
— The  sign  of  omnipresent  Deity. 

Winds,  whence  and  whither  do  ye  blow  ? 
— Thou  must  be  born  again  to  know. 

Bow  in  the  cloud,  what  token  dost  thou  bear  ? 

— That  justice  still  cries  "Strike,"  and  mercy,  "Spare. 

Rise,  glitter,  break ;  yet.  Bubble,  tell  me  why  ? 
— To  show  the  course  of  all  beneath  the  sky. 

Ocean,  what  law  thy  chainless  waves  confined  ? 
— That  which  in  reason's  limits  holds  thy  mind. 

Time,  whither  dost  thou  flee  ? 
— I  travel  to  eternity. 

Eternity,  what  art  thou, — say  ? 

— Time  past,  time  present,  time  to  come — to-day. 

Ye  Dead,  where  can  your  dwelling  be  ? 

— The  house  for  all  the  living ; — come  and  see. 

O  Life,  what  is  thy  breath  ? 
— A  vapour  lost  in  death. 


POETRY.  197 

O  Death  how  ends  thy  strife  ? 
— In  everlasting' life. 

O  Grave,  where  is  thy  victory? 

— Ask  him  who  rose  again  for  thee. 

James  Montgomery. 


COMFORT  IN  AFFLICTION. 

Oh  !  thou  who  driest  the  mourner's  tear. 

How  dark  this  world  would  be, 
If,  when  deceived  and  wounded  here, 

We  could  not  fly  to  thee  I 
The  friends  who  in  our  sunshine  live. 

When  winter  comes  are  flown ; 
And  he  who  has  but  tears  to  give, 

Must  weep  those  tears  alone ; 
But  thou  wilt  hear  that  broken  heart. 

Which,  like  the  plants  that  throw 
Their  fragrance  from  the  wounded  part, 

Breathes  sweetness  out  of  wo. 

When  joy  no  longer  soothes  or  cheers. 

And  e'en  the  hope  that  threw 
A  moment's  sparkle  o'er  our  tears. 

Is  dimmed  and  vanished  too  ! 
Oh  who  would  bear  life's  stormy  doom, 

DidJiot  thy  wing  of  love 
Come  brightly  w^atting  through  the  gloom 

One  peace-branch  from  above  ! 
Then  sorrow  touched  by  thee  grows  bright, 

With  more  than  raptures  ray  ; 
As  darkness  shows  us  worlds  of  light 

We  never  saw  by  day.  Moore. 


198  •  POETRY. 


RESIGNATION. 

When  musing  sorrow  weeps  the  past, 

And  mourns  the  present  pain  ; 
How  sweet  to  think  of  peace  at  last, 

And  feel  that  death  is  gain. 

'Tis  not  that  murmuring  thoughts  arise, 

And  dread  a  Father's  will ; 
'Tis  not  that  meek  submission  flies. 

And  would  not  suffer  still. 

It  is  that  heaven-taught  yaif/i  surveys 

The  path  to  realms  of  light; 
And  longs  her  eagle  plumes  to  raise. 

And  lose  herself  in  sight. 

It'is  that  hope  with  ardour  glows. 

To  see  Him  face  to  face, 
Whose  dying  love  no  language  knows 

Sufficient  art  to  trace. 

It  is  that  harassed  conscience  feels 

The  pangs  of  struggling  sin  ; 
Sees,  though  afar,  the  hand  that  heals, 

And  ends  her  war  within. 

Oh !  let  me  wing  my  hallowed  flight. 

From  earth-born  wo  and  care ; 
And  soar  beyond  these  realms  of  night, 

My  Saviour's  bliss  to  share.  Noel. 


THE  DYING  CHRISTIAN  TO  HIS  SOUL. 

Vital  spark  of  heavenly  flame  I 
Quit,  O  quit  this  mortal  frame  1 


POETRY.  199 

Trembling,  hoping,  lingering,  flying  ; 
Oh  the  pain,  the  bliss  of  dying  1 
Cease,  iond  nature  !  cease  thy  strife, 
And  let  me  languish  into  life  ! 

Hark,  they  whisper — angels  say, 
"Sister  spirit,  come  away  !" 
What  is  this  absorbs  me  quite, 
Steals  my  senses,  shuts  my  sight, 
Drowns  my  spirit,  draws  my  breath, 
Tell  me,  my  soul — can  this  be  death  ? 

The  world  recedes  I — it  disappears  ! — 
Heaven  opens  on  my  eyes  ! — my  ears 

With  sounds  seraphic  ring! 
Lend,  lend,  your  wings  !  I  mount!  I  fly  ! 
O  grave  !  where  is  thy  victory  ! 

O  death !  where  is  thy  sting  ?  Pope. 


"what   thou  KNOWEST  not  now,  thou   SHALT 


There  is  a  secret  in  the  ways  of  God 

With  his  own  children,  which  none  others  know, 

That  sweetens  all  he  does ;  and  if  such  peace, 

While  under  his  afflicting  hand,  we  find. 

What  will  it  be  to  see  him  as  he  is. 

And  pass  the  reach  of  all  that  now  disturbs 

The  tranquil  soul's  repose  ?     To  contemplate, 

In  retrospect  unclouded,  all  the  means 

By  which  his  wisdom  has  prepared  his  saints 

For  the  vast  weight  of  glory  which  remains! 

Come  then  affliction,  if  my  Father  bids, 

And  be  my  frowning  friend.    A  friend  that  frowns 

Is  better  than  a  smiling  enemy. 


200  POETRY. 

We  welcome  clouds  which  bring  the  former  rain. 
Though  they  the  present  prospect  blacken  round, 
And  shade  the  beauties  of  the  opening  year, 
That,  by  their  stores  enriched,  the  earth  may  yield 
A  fruitful  summer  and  a  plenteous  crop.  Swaine. 


BRIGHT  ANTICIPATION  OF  GLORY. 

Deathless  principle,  arise ! 
Soar  thou  native  of  the  skies  ! 
Pearl  of  price,  by  Jesus  bought 
To  his  glorious  likeness  wrought, 
Go,  to  shine  before  his  throne, 
Deck  his  mediatorial  crown ; 
Go,  his  triumphs  to  adorn, 
Born  for  God,  to  God  return. 

Lo,  he  beckons  from  on  high ! 
Fearless  to  his  presence  fly ; 
Thine  the  merit  of  his  blood, 
Thine  the  righteousness  of  God ! 
Angels,  joyful  to  attend. 
Hovering  round  thy  pillow  bend ; 
Wait  to  catch  the  signal  given, 
And  escort  thee  quick  to  heaven ! 

Is  thy  earthly  house  distrest  ? 
Willing  to  retain  its  guest  ? 
'Tis  not  thou,  but  it,  must  die — 
Fly,  celestial  tenant,  fly ! 
Burst  thy  shackles,  drop  thy  clay, 
Sweetly  breathe  thyself  away  : 
Singing,  to  thy  crown  remove. 
Swift  of  wing,  and  fired  with  love. 

Shudder  not  to  pass  the  stream, 
Venture  all  thy  care  on  him, 


POETRY.  201 

Him,  wliose  dying  love  and  power 
Stilled  its  tossing,  hushed  its  roar  : 
Safe  in  the  expanded  wave, 
Gentle  as  a  summer's  eve ; 
Not  one  object  of  his  care 
Ever  suffered  shipwreck  there! 

See  the  haven  full  in  view, 

Love  divine  shall  bear  thee  through; 

Trust  to  that  propitious  gale. 

Weigh  thy  anchor,  spread  thy  sail ! 

Saints  in  glory  perfect  made. 

Wait  thy  passage  through  the  shade: 

Ardent  for  thy  coming  o'er, 

See,  they  throng  the  blissful  shore  I 

Mount,  their  transports  to  improve, 
Join  the  longing  choir  above. 
Swiftly  to  their  wish  be  given, 
Kindle  higher  joy  in  heaven. — 
Such  the  prospects  that  arise 
To  the  dying  Christian's  eyes ! 
Such  the  glorious  vista  faith 
Opens  through  the  shades  of  death  I 

Toplady. 


THE  SWEETNESS  OF  RESTING  ON  GOD. 

When  languor  and  disease  invade 
This  trembling  house  of  clay, 

'Tis  sweet  to  look  beyond  our  cage, 
And  long  to  soar  away. 

Sweet  to  look  inward,  and  attend 

The  whispers  of  his  love ; 
Sweet  to  look  upward  to  the  throne 

Where  Jesus  pleads  above. 
S  2 


202  POETRY. 

Sweet  to  look  back,  and  see  my  name 
In  life's  fair  book  marked  down ; 

Sweet  to  look  forward  and  behold 
Eternal  joy  my  own. 

Sweet  to  reflect,  how  grace  divine 

My  sins  on  Jesus  laid  : 
Sweet  to  remember  that  thy  death 

My  debt  of  suffering  paid. 

Sweet  on  thy  faithfulness  to  rest, 

Whose  love  can  never  end; 
Sweet  on  thy  covenant  of  grace 

For  all  things  to  depend. 

Sweet  in  the  confidence  of  faith, 

To  trust  thy  truth  divine ; 
Sweet  to  lie  passive  in  thy  hands, 

And  have  no  will  but  thine. 

If  such  the  sweetness  of  the  streams. 

What  will  that  fountain  be. 
Where  saints  and  angels  draw  their  bliss 

Immediately  from  thee  !  Rid. 


HOPE  GILDING  THE  PROSPECT  OF  DEATH. 

'Tis  sweet  to  rest  in  lively  hope, 
That  when  the  change  shall  come. 

Angels  will  hover  round  my  bed. 
And  waft  my  spirit  home. 

There  shall  my  dis-imprisoned  soul 

Behold  him  and  adore ; 
Be  with  his  likeness  satisfied, 

And  grieve  and  sin  no  more. 


POETRY.  203 

Shall  see  him  wear  that  very  flesh 

On  which  my  guilt  was  lain ; 
His  love  intense,  his  merit  fresli, 

As  though  but  newly  slain. 

Soon  too  my  slumbering  dust  shall  hear 

The  trumpet's  quickening  sound  ! 
And  by  my  Saviour's  power  rebuilt, 

At  his  right  hand  be  found. 

These  eyes  shall  see  him  in  that  day, 

l^he  God  that  died  for  me; 
And  all  my  rising  bones  shall  say, 

Lord,  vvlio  is  like  to  thee  I 

If  such  the  views  which  grace  unfolds, 

Weak  as  it  is  below. 
What  raptures  do  the  church  above 

In  Jesus'  presence  know  I 

O  may  the  unction  of  these  truths 

For  ever  with  me  stay. 
Till  from  her  sinful  cage  dismissed, 

My  spirit  flies  away !  Jbid. 


LAUNCHING  INTO  ETERNITY. 

It  was  a  brave  attempt !  adventurous  he. 
Who  in  the  first  ship  broke  the  unknown  sea : 
And  leaving  his  dear  native  shores  behind, 
Trusted  his  life  to  the  licentious  wind. 
I  see  the  surging  brine :  the  tempest  raves ; 
He  on  the  pine-plank  rides  across  the  waves, 
Exulting  on  the  edge  of  thousand  gaping  graves 
He  steers  the  winged  boat,  and  shitls  the  sails. 
Conquers  the  flood,  and  manages  tiie  gales. 
Such  is  the  soul  that  leaves  this  mortal  land. 
Fearless  wlicn  the  great  Master  gives  command. 


204  POETRY. 

Death  is  the  storm :  she  smiles  to  hear  it  roar, 

And  bids  the  tempest  waft  her  from  the  shore : 

Then  with  a  skilful  helm  she  sweeps  the  seas. 

And  manages  the  raging  storm  with  ease  ; 

"  Her  faith  can  govern  death,"  she  spreads  her  wings. 

Wide  to  the  wind,  and  as  she  sails  she  sings, 

And  loses  by  degrees  the  sight  of  mortal  things. 

As  the  shores  lessen,  so  her  joys  arise. 

The  waves  roll  gentler,  and  the  tempest  dies ; 

Now  vast  eternity  fills  all  her  sight. 

She  floats  on  the  broad  deep  with  infinite  delight, 

The  sea  for  ever  calm,  the  skies  forever  bright. 

Watts. 


THE  STAR  OF  BETHLEHEM. 

When  marshalled  on  the  nightly  plain, 
The  glittering  host  bestud  the  sky : 

One  Star  alone,  of  all  the  train. 

Can  fix  the  sinner's  wandering  eye. 

Hark !  hark !  to  God,  the  chorus  breaks. 
From  every  host,  from  every  gem ; 

But  one  alone  the  Saviour  speaks, 
It  is  the  Star  of  Bethlehem. 

Once  on  the  raging  seas  I  rode, 

The  storm  was  loud, — the  night  was  dark. 
The  ocean  yawned — and  rudely  blowed 

The  wind  that  tossed  my  foundering  bark. 

Deep  horror  then  my  vitals  froze, 

Death-struck,  I  ceased  the  tide  to  stem; 

When  suddenly  a  star  arose ; 
It  was  the  Star  of  Bethlehem. 


POETRY.  205 

It  was  my  guide,  my  light,  my  all. 

It  bade  my  dark  forebodings  cease ; 
And  through  the  storm  and  danger's  thrall, 

It  led  me  to  the  port  of  peace. 

Now  safely  moored,  my  perils  o'er, 

I'll  sing — first  in  night's  diadem, 
For  ever  and  for  evermore. 

The  Star  !  the  Star  of  Bethlehem. 

H.  K.  Wdte. 


DEATH -BED  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN. 

Let  reason  vainly  boast  her  power. 
To  teach  her  children  how  to  die : 

The  sinner  in  a  dying  hour 

Needs  more  than  reason  can  supply : 

A  view  of  Christ,  the  sinner's  friend, 

Alone  can  cheer  him  in  tlie  end. 

When  nature  sinks  beneath  disease, 
And  every  earthly  hope  is  fled, 

What  then  can  give  the  sinner  ease. 
And  fill  with  peace  his  dying  bed  ? 

Jesus,  thy  word  liis  heart  can  cheer. 
He's  blest  e'en  then  if  thou  art  near. 

The  gospel  free  salvation  brings. 
And  Jesus  is  the  gospel  theme ; 

In  death  the  pardonded  sinner  sings, 
And  triumplis  in  the  Saviour's  name 

"  O  death,  where  is  thy  sting  ?"  they  cry ; 

"  O  grave,  where  is  thy  victory  ?" 

Ah,  let  me  die  the  death  of  those 
Whom  Jesus  washes  in  his  blood ; 


206  POETRY. 

Who  on  his  faithfulness  repose, 

And  know  that  he  indeed  is  God. 
Then  round  his  throne  we  all  shall  meet, 
And  cast  our  crowns  beneath  his  feet.        Anon. 


I  WOULD  NOT  LIVE  ALWAY. 

I  would  not  live  alway :  I  ask  not  to  stay 
Where  storm  after  storm  rises  dark  o'er  the  way ; 
The  few  lurid  mornings  that  dawn  on  us  here, 
Are  enough  for  life's  woes,  full  enough  for  its  cheer. 

I  would  not  live  alway,  thus  fetter'd  by  sin ; 
Temptation  without,  and  corruption  within: 
E'en  the  rapture  of  pardon  is  mingled  with  fears. 
And  the  cup  of  thanksgiving  with  penitent  tears. 

I  would  not  live  alway ;  no — welcome  the  tomb, 
Since  Jesus  has  laid  there,  I  dread  not  its  gloom ; 
There,  sweet  be  my  rest,  till  he  bid  me  arise 
To  hail  him  in  triumph  descending  the  skies. 

Who,  who  would  live  always  away  from  his  God; 
Away  from  yon  heaven,  that  blissful  abode. 
Where  the  rivers  of  pleasure  flow  o'er  the  bright  plains, 
And  the  noontide  of  glory  eternally  reigns ; 

Where  the  saints  of  all  ages  in  harmony  meet, 
Their  Saviour  and  brethren,  transported  to  greet ; 
While  the  anthems  of  rapture  unceasingly  roll, 
And  the  smile  of  the  Lord  is  the  feast  of  the  soul ! 

Miihlenburg. 


POETRY.  207 


A  SIGHT  OF  HEAVEN  IN  SICKNESS. 

Oft  have  I  sat  in  secret  sighs, 

To  feel  my  flesh  decay, 
Then  groan'd  aloud  with  frighted  eyes, 

To  view  the  tottering  clay. 

But  I  forbid  my  sorrows  now, 
Nor  dares  the  flesh  complain ; 

Diseases  bring  their  profits  too ; 
The  joy  o'ercomes  the  pain. 

My  cheerful  soul  now  all  the  day 
Sits  waiting  here  and  sings ; 

Looks  through  the  ruins  of  her  clay, 
And  practises  her  wings. 

Faith  almost  changes  into  sight, 

While  from  afar  she  spies 
Her  fair  inlieritance  in  light, 

Above  created  skies. 

Had  but  the  prison  walls  been  strong. 

And  firm  without  a  flaw, 
In  darkness  she  had  dwelt  too  long, 

And  less  of  glory  saw. 

But  now  the  everlasting  hills 
Through  every  chink  appear, 

And  something  of  the  joy  she  feels. 
While  she's  a  prisoner  here. 

The  beams  of  heaven  rush  sweetly  in 

At  all  the  gaping  flaws ; 
Visions  of  endless  bliss  are  seen. 

And  native  arr-alie  draws. 


208  POETRY. 

O  may  these  walls  stand  tottering  still, 
The  breaches  never  close, 

If  I  must  here  in  darkness  dwell, 
And  all  this  glory  lose ! 

Or  rather  let  this  flesh  decay. 

The  ruins  wider  grow. 
Till,  glad  to  see  th'  enlarged  way, 

I  stretch  my  pinions  through. 


PANTING  FOR  HEAVEN. 

Ye  angels  who  stand  round  the  throne, 

And  view  my  Immanuel's  face. 
In  rapturous  songs  make  him  known  ; 

Tune,  tune  your  soft  harps  to  his  praise 
He  formed  you  the  spirits  you  are,] 

So  happy,  so  noble,  so  good  ; 
While  others  sunk  down  in  despair, 

Confirmed  by  his  power,  ye  stood. 

Ye  saints,  who  stand  nearer  than  they, 
.    And  cast  your  bright  crowns  at  his  feet, 
His  grace  and  liis  glory  display. 

And  all  his  rich  mercy  repeat : 
He  snatched  you  from  hell  and  the  grave, 

He  ransomed  from  death  and  despair; 
For  you  he  was  mighty  to  save. 

Almighty  to  bring  you  safe  there. 

O,  when  will  the  period  appear. 
When  I  shall  unite  in  your  song? 

I'm  weary  of  lingering  here. 
And  I  to  your  Saviour  belong  I 

I'm  fettered  and  chained  up  in  clay  ; 
I  struggle  and  pant  to  be  free ; 


POETRY.  209 

I  long  to  be  soaring  away, 
My  God  and  my  Saviour  to  see. 

1  want  to  put  on  ray  attire, 

Washed  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb ; 
I  want  to  be  one  of  your  choir. 

And  tune  my  sweet  harp  to  his  name : 
1  want — oh  I  want  to  be  there, 

Where  sorrow  and  sin  bid  adieu. 
Your  joy  and  your  friendship  to  share. 

7'o  wonder  and  worship  with  you. 

De  FLeury, 


THE  DEATH  OF  THE  RIGHTEOUS. 

Sweet  is  the  scene  when  Christians  die, 

When  holy  souls  retire  to  rest ; 
How  mildly  beams  the  closing  eye  ! 

How  gently  heaves  the  expiring  breast  1 

So  fades  a  summer's  cloud  away : 

So  sinks  the  gale  when  storms  are  o'er; 

So  gently  shuts  the  eye  of  day ; 
So  dies  a  wave  along  the  shore. 

Triumphant  smiles  the  victor's  brow. 
Fanned  by  some  guardian  angel's  wing; 

O  grave  !  were  is  thy  victory  now  ? 
And  where,  insidious  death,  thy  sting  ? 

Barbauld. 


210  POETRY. 


FAREWELL. 


Nay,  shrink  not  from  the  word  "  farewell  I" 
As  'twere  friendship's  final  knell : 

Such  fears  may  prove  but  vain : 
So  changeful  is  life's  fleeting  day, 
When'er  we  sever — hope  may  say 

"  We  part  to  meet  again!" 

Even  the  last  parting  earth  can  know, 
Brings  not  unutterable  woe, 

To  soul's  that  heavenward  soar ; 
For  humble  faith,  with  steadfast  eye, 
Points  to  a  brighter  world  on  high. 
Where  hearts  that  here  at  parting  sigh, 

May  meet — to  part  no  more. 

Bernard  Barton. 


HOPE  BEYOND  THE  GRAVE. 

'Tis  night,  and  the  landscape  is  lovely  no  more ; 
I  mourn,  but  ye  woodlands,  I  mourn  not  for  you ; 
For  morn  is  approaching,  your  charms  to  restore. 
Perfumed  with  fresh  fragrance,  and  glittering  with  dew. 
Nor  yet  for  the  ravage  of  winter  I  mourn ; 
Kind  nature  the  embryo  blossom  will  save  : 
But  when  shall  spring  visit  the  mouldering  urn  ? 
O  when  shall  it  dawn  on  the  night  of  the  grave  ? 

'Twas  thus  by  the  glare  of  false  science  betrayed. 

That  leads  to  bewilder,  and  dazzles  to  blind, 

My  thoughts  wont  to  roam,  from  shade  onward  to  shade, 

Destruction  before  me,  and  sorrow  behind, 

"  O  pity,  great  Father  of  light,"  then  I  cried. 

Thy  creature  who  fain  would  not  wander  from  thee  I 


POETRY.  211 

Lo,  humbled  in  dust,  I  relinquish  my  pride : 

From  doubt  and  from  darkness  thou  only  canst  free. 

And  darkness  and  doubt  are  now  flying  away. 

No  longer  I  roam  in  conjecture  forlorn  : 

So  breaks  on  the  traveller,  faint  and  astray. 

The  bright  and  the  balmy  effulgence  of  morn. 

See  truth,  love,  and  mercy,  in  triumph  descending, 

And  nature  all  glowing  in  Eden's  first  bloom  ! 

On  the  cold  cheek  of  death  smiles  and  roses  are  blending. 

And  beauty  immortal  awakes  from  the  tomb  I 

Beattie. 


THE     END. 


